alfa-digest V7 #322

[Rollins <73500.616@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Original message:
<<
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 12:10:46 -0500
From: Frank <fca@domain.elided>
Subject: And I thought the Cape Cod Milano Saga was bad...

What do you do when a well-known Alfa Romeo mechanic has your car for
close to one year, for repairs that should have taken no more than a
month to complete?  Do you take the car away although it is still not
running despite having spent much more than was initially quoted?  Or do
you keep faith and hope that the latest promised completion date will be
the last one.  >>

A sound economic principle, although not well understood or practiced, is=

that you DO NOT make decisions on sunk costs.

No matter how much you have spent -- and it is spent, or "sunk", not
"invested" -- you have a car that is broken. Obviously, the service
provider is not fixing it. You are at ground zero. Do not give this perso=
n
any more of your resources, which are primarily time, money and patience.=

Don't send good money after bad. Cut your losses and get the car out of
there. I know this is hard to do. I have learned this lesson from persona=
l
experience. I am very glad that I have done this in at least two
significant cases. You may be able to seek redress in small claims court,=

later, but get the car out now. Build a good case with documentation.

Frank, if you are comfortable doing it, please advise me off digest who t=
he
current provider is. =


Paul Rollins

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