Classic/Antique Car Repair: My car wont start, pep boys, seat belts

Question
Hello there,

I recently had to have my car towed to pep boys cuz it wouldnt start.However, everything else came on (the radio, lights,seat belts went back). My car is 1995 Ford escort lx. I just wanted to know if my starter was the problem  and is a starter considered an electrical problem? The reason i ask is because i got charged an extra $80 bucks to have them do an elcetrical diagnostics. Am i getting ripped off?

Answer
I need much more information to be able to say whether or not you were treated fairly.  Since they are telling you it may be the starter, I assume that the car was not cranking.  This could be anything from a loose battery cable to the shift lever not being all the way into neutral or park position, with a lot of other possibilities too.   

Generally, I advise folks to take their car to an independent locally owned garage, not one of the big chain stores.   I think you are more likely to get fair treatment from a locally owned garage, especially one that has been in business for many years and has gray haired mechanics.  But beyond that general rule, I can't say anything specific about how Pep Boys treated you without examining the car myself, or at least being told a lot more.

What did the problem turn out to be?

What were the symptoms?  What happened when you tried to start it?

Dick