Maybe it's just me, but I kind of lean towards TVT's side.

He did refund the money (he claims), and has seemed to do what he could to rectify the problem. Just try getting any customer service outta a big company, in their world it's just too bad for you most of the time.

I look at it this way........If I bought a new DVD player to hook up to my TV and it didn't work, I'd immediately put it back in the box and ship it back. I would NOT proceed to take it apart and pull parts out of it, then ship it back in pieces.

I'm sorry to say it BLUEMDsrt6, you're in a bad spot in my eyes. Truthfully, I think the mechanic you had work on the car should eat the cost of the thermostat. Being a former ASE master mechanic, I'd NEVER try to take a thermostat apart to make it work!

Just my 2 cents worth.