Repairs that got more expensive than planned?

[kiat]

A few months back soon after taking my main bass combo** to a pub jam, though it not had much use, the unit failed. No sound, though the headphones worked.

 

Long story short, it eventually got mended and it cost me £230 in repair costs alone. There were considerable transport costs on top of that.

 

Have relatively expensive repairs happened to you?  What were the realistic choices open to you - was conversion a possibility?

 

It was a lot more than I'd bargained for, given these are selling on UK eBay for £300,  though the engineer told me the likely costs at each stage. 

 

I've decided to turn this into a combo/cab at the  earliest opportunity. 

 

Details: 

* The engineer, Rowan at Keld Ampworks, Newark

* motherboard too complex to diagnose (labour costs would have soared)

* The engineer Yamaha provided a mobo for £170

* Charged labour £70

* Rowan could not get the headphone working independently from the main speaker, as it was when I took it in.

** Ampeg BA210v2 - 7 years old, but had a 6 year hiatus when I wasn't playing bass.