What is the brand and model of the fork? How old is the fork? Consumers are now pretty much forced to buy bikes with shocks, high-end rigid mountain bikes are a thing of the past ( unless you buy one from me
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If you cannot service your own shock and have to purchase parts for it, i would recommend you replace the whole shock with a new one If the shock you have retails for around $150 why give the shop $100 in labor to repair the one you have. A new one would offer you the chance to raise or lower your bars to better suit your fit too.
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"
try to be objective and determine who reaps the benefits more, you or the shop, so if labor rates are say $55 an hour plus parts that alone would exceed the cost of most new forks in that price range. Most bikes that retail in the $1000 or under range In my view would be a candidate for replacement vs repair/overhaul. It is not out of the newbie's realm to replace a fork if they take their time, the info is out there and on this forum
There are two kinds of people in the world, "Those who help themselves to people, and those who help people!"