I totally agree! We can easily tell XR7–428 what he should spend his money on.
I have read, but I have not researched it so I don’t know whether it is really true, that because the only demand for R12 anymore is to service very old refrigeration systems, and a lot is still being recovered as old systems are taken out of service, that there is a glut of R12 on the market. A licensed installer should be able to get recycled R12 cheap.
Is there anyone who has first hand knowledge on this?