So at no point in doing repairs have I ever gotten stiffed on a repair. Ive had the not worth repairing donated to the parts pile but nobody has ever just not paid. Since I do repairs for the hobby store I dont get to choose my customers and I always quote when it is going to be expensive. This one was particularly so. I think this guy bough this engine on ebay and having gotten ripped off sent it to me for repair after getting the repair quote thought he didn't have choice but to fix it then decided he didn't want to sink more money into it. Needless to say his proposition was that i buy from him for $500 and I can sell it since I know people. Since I was at work I told him Id think about it but I dont want it, and I cant get the money out of it.
Many customer want to be sure I am paid for my time evaluating things even if not repaired.
This statement by GGG above is worth a comment. When you go to a doctor because you're ill, or to a lawyer because you have a problem, or an auto shop because a car is malfunctioning, you are seeking the benefits of that person's training and experience. The doctor or lawyer gets paid whether or not he/she can find and solve the problem, and regardless of whether or not you proceed with surgery or litigation (for which there is further charge); the auto shop charges a diagnostic fee, usually credited towards the cost of repairs.
If I send a loco to GGG or to anyone else for diagnosis, I am asking them to apply their training and experience to solving my problem. They are entitled to be compensated for their time, regardless of the diagnosis, and regardless of whether or not they proceed with a repair. Whether or not they choose to waive a charge, or credit it towards repairs, is another issue.
I will chime in on this because it kind of makes me mad to hear about someone who doesn't want to pay for a repair. I screwed up one of my favorite locomotives a couple of months ago, I was sick about it. I can do a lot of things. I've been a machinist and fabricator for over 25 years, and I now teach welding. But, even though I can do a lot of things with my hands, fumbling around under the shell of an MTH locomotive is best left to someone who knows. I sent my SD70 to GGG. He fixed it ASAP and he was super reasonable. I felt it was money well spent. Heck, the entire thing went great. I was so thankful that I was able to get the thing fixed. The very idea that someone would get a repair done and then not want to pay! I wasn't raised that way. I appreciate all of you guys that work on these wonderful computerized, electronic devices we call trains. God bless you!
Based on the complexity of the diagnosis I'll frequently give a free estimate before I start work. If it's going to take significant work to determine the course of action, then I like to get paid for the time, although there have been times I didn't. Like George says, some folks will insist on paying you even if you don't perform the repair.
For upgrades where the work is predetermined, I give the price up front. Barring some very unusual complication, that's the price they pay. Whenever a job comes in that will be fairly expensive to complete, be it a repair or an upgrade, I always discuss it with the customer and explain the issues and costs. If possible, I also try to offer different options that may save them money, depending on the specifics of the job.
Good customer relationships are build on both sides of the transaction.
99.9% of my repair customers are an absolute delight and when I tell them the price of the repair I usually get "OH is that all" I even had one gentleman when I told him the price of his F3 ABA ps2 upgrade he asked if it took me longer than the hours I charged him for and I told him it did and he then insisted on paying me for the additional time. This is the most expensive repair I have done for somebody and most of my time was spend double and triple checking the entire loco for burnt or shorted wires and bad components. I only billed him for about half the time I worked on it because I have to be fair. Th big expense is for the parts that I bought only at a slight discount to retail that I cant give a break on.
Matt, hopefully parts will come faster with Jason in charge. Anyone doing those repairs has been a victim in the past. That is all heading upstream now. Jason will get it right. I was spoiled ordering Lionel parts. I would put my order in Sunday night or Monday morning and have my parts mid week. MTH will be at that point and we can all joke about issues of the past.
Marty, I have a pretty decent supply of MTH parts but now I need more PS2 3 volt boards which means PS3 boards with adapters but I didn't have any mux boards. This repair has shown me that I need to make better notes and keep track of things better.
Gotta say it sure is good having you repair guys handy on the forum or available for ship and fix. I feel a good sense of camaraderie here.
I'll second the praise for repair techs on here. GGG did a repair for me and I am very satisfied. We had great communication and in the end I had to tell him he didn't charge enough. Then there is all the valuable information I get from all of them right here. 
