So what do I do if my earphones ARE connected properly, and the player still stops?

My earphones are connected as they always have been. It worked going to work in the morning, and on the return trip home, the player started turning off... what gives? Has anyone found a fix? Apple Support says I have to pay $30 just to TALK to someone, no promises that they can fix anything. No offense, but I can buy a generic MP3 player for $30 that WILL work. This may be the last Apple product I buy...