Tapes not in 24p play for 2 seconds than stop, WHY? (by 2 users)

I have br-dv3000u just purchased used from the original owner whose reason for selling it was that the vcr rejects tape. I took it to a service center but I was shocked to hear how much the guy charged to fix it. $480!!!!. Now, am going back to yank the vcr from him and try to relax my head for sometime before I start to think of another alternative. Please do you think the repair worths the money. If not, what do you think I can do to eliminate this vcr problem? - Nicholas