Audio Systems: CDs will not play, dear anne, independent repair

Question
Hello Kevin,
 I have a Phillips Mini Tower stereo (Model FW320C/37), which includes radio/2 cassette/3-disc CD player (manuf. 09/99).  I tried to play a CD recently, and the display said, "no disc."  I put in 3 CD's, but none would play.  Everything else works fine. . . any thoughts?
ps  I sent a note to Phillips asking if they would ask a repair person in their group if this has been a problem with this particular model and, if so, what was their recommendation.  To my non-surprise, they suggested I bring the unit to a repair center--that's an obvious answer.  I just wanted to get a heads-up on the potential problem and what an approprite price could I expect for a repair.
 I appreciate any thoughts you might have.  Annie

Answer
Dear Anne,

The most obvious culprit is a dirty CD, but unless all your CDs are uniformly filthy, it's more likely that the lens needs cleaning. Get a CD lens cleaner at any big box retailer (Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.) and follow the instructions. See if it doesn't make a difference.

BTW, Philips is pretty good with customer support. Don't be afraid to use it. As for price, most independent repair services charge 1/2 hour's labor for a diagnostic. Then they apply that cost, otherwise nonrefundable, to the repair. These days, depending on the market, labor runs anywhere from $80/hr. to $130/hr.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin