ragenem's Blog

Please Help!  I thoroughly believe that I am being held hostage by a car repair place and am really in trouble.  About 11 days ago (on a Friday) my cars transmission failed on the way home from work, I took the car to a shop that previously worked on it.  The following Tuesday, I was told by the shop manager that the transmission failed obviously, and they are going to cut me a break and fix it for $1000 - and even allowing me to finance it over 60 days interest free.  I stayed in contact with them, they tell me they are trying to figure out WHY it failed....they would let me know this week.

My wife emails me at work, the shop called, said that the reason the transmission failed is because the transmission fluid was being cooled by the radiator, and there is a leak somewhere in there requiring the entire radiator to be replaced.  To the tune of  an additional $700, and that they will NOT complete the original repair until the radiator is replaced.

It will be a hardship for the original repair - the $1000, even over 60 days.  The additional $700 is impossible right now - we have other bills.  My question is, can this shop DO this?  Can they refuse to complete a repair I authorized unless I authorize another repair that I cannot even determine as being necessary?  That's almost theft in my book.  Extortion even.  This is our only vehicle, and it's financed so I really cannot go out and replace it.  If anyone has any advice on how to proceed I would be very appreciative.

Alright, now while I am not the biggest "American Idol" Fan, I have issues with Yahoo.  On the LANDING page for yahoo, prior to American Idol playing here in Phoenix, they had the results of the show.  Who got kicked off....yahoo knows and has posted it, prior to the show being aired in our time zone!!!  Why?  I don't really want to watch the show now.  Anyone else see that?  AM i wrong in being mad about it?

I just read it on Fox News.  Obama's pastor of 20+ years and his spiritual adviser is ON TAPE, saying "God **** America!"  If you read the statements, you get a feeling of the hate this man of God has for America, the government, the rich, and for his fellow (albeit white) Americans.  To make things even worse, Obama hasn't said squat about this.  If the Republican party was affiliated with someone who made these inflammatory and hate filled statements, you can bet every news station would be talking about it.  They would probably break into programming to let us know.  I just had to write something to see if my feelings and reactions to this are unique.  How can someone, who supposedly has the greater good of the people always on his mind be affiliated with, and trust so deeply, someone so hateful?  And how can we trust this man, who has a real shot (God Forbid) at becoming the next President of The United States of America?