My buddy did the same thing last year at the Boise Towne Square. Said he'd only do a four hour shift, ended up staying ten because the line at the electronics store wrapped halfway down the hall. He came home with a $15 gift card and a story about a lady who tried to fight him over a TV. Still says it was the worst money he ever made.

Man, that story is the whole "expensive doesn't always mean better" thing in a nutshell. Happens with cars, tools, appliances, you name it, we get burned once by a cheap version of something and then swear off the whole category for life. Rick sounds like the kind of guy who's been around long enough to know the difference between a bad rebuild and a bad rebuilder. 14 months on a Phoenix rental in that heat is a real test, so maybe you didn't just get lucky.