Cannot shift into gear

Hi,

I have a 2000 cabrio, manual transmission with about 90,000 miles. The other day I put it into neutral nearing a stop light and then tried to put it into second to keep going but it would not go. It wouldn't go into any gears, whether the car was on or not. It seemed like a very sudden thing, none of the gears had been acting up recently and I had not been having any trouble shifting. I did recently have my clutch replaced by a mechanic who did not seem to know much about VW's and I'm wondering if this is related in any way. The only other thing that may be related to this and worth mentioning are that I have had the relay ball and bushings replaced.

I probably spend anywhere from $2,500-$5,000 in intense car service every year on my cabrio. I am so fed up. I think this might be one of the most unreliable, poorly built cars available...

If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it. I want to be somewhat knowledgeable when I talk to the mechanic.

Thank you,
Leslie