Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

"Most of the time," the spokes-technician says,"the repair is no cost to you."

I don't those ads annoy me so much.   I want them to say at no cost.

It's not the "to you/" If they said, "To you, the repair is no cost", it would sound equally wrong.

But it doesn't sound wrong to say "the repair is $5" or "the repair is free".  I appreciate the fact that they're saying they settle for what the insurance company pays, rather than saying it's free, so I should like them saying what they do.

So why that "missing" at bothers me, I can't say.  Does it bother anyone else, or have I taken another step towards being completely unhinged?