I believe he summarized the situation very well and gave you excellent advice. I have a close friend that owns a repair shop (unfortunately not MB). I take my cars to him, I do not ask for an estimate. What he asks, I pay. I must admit that a couple of times I did not like the bill. But, as Steve says, I keep it to myself because this is not a technical matter and it is no longer about money.
On the other hand, if you relationship is just bussiness, expect to pay book value, why? Every owner has relatives, friends, friends of friends etc. He could spend all day doing charity work and losing money all the time.
Forget about it and move on!


Rookie