Originally Posted by Harold K

You guys have convinced me to get a bike repair manual and do the work myself. I think the deal with the derailleur is that its not a good one and not worth repairing. The only thing wrong with it is the spring is weak and doesn't put enough tension on the chain. It can be fixed but I think upgrading is a good idea.
Everything has a learning curve, last week I bought a new chain and replaced the two sprockets on the derailleur. After putting it back together the chain was jumping on the rear sprocket. I couldn't figure out why so I took it to the shop. They explained to me that the rear sprockets were worn out and the old chain also being worn matched, the new chain didn't so it skipped. Worn sprockets had never entered my mind, so now I know what to look for. Well I was gonna go for a ride, but its starting to snow.