30 lb. bottles of R-12 are going for about $900 in my neck of the woods. The truth about certification is this: you must be certified by one of the approved/recognized programs like IMACA or MACS, in order to purchase and use R-12, or any refrigerant. The EPA, and nobody else, regulates this, usually in conjunction with local law enforcement. ASE certification in HVAC only makes you capable of using it, not certified to handle it under the EPA laws. I am an ASE-certified Master Auto Technician, and cannot purchase or install refrigerant legally in any car. This is because I do not have the required certification to do so. An auto parts store has a license to sell it, but ONLY to a properly-certified customer. The parts store that offers to sell R-12 illegally should be avoided, as it only will lead to trouble. EPA fines can be very painful, and can be high enough to shut down a business permanently. Although you have been lucky so far, it is only a matter of time before some official gets wind of internet sales of this sort, and cracks down on it. I would hate to be the first one caught in such a dragnet. This is a question much like: "How much is an illegally modified, full-auto, assault rifle worth? I can find no serial numbers, but the seller claims that it is a clean gun." This is not a fun place to play, and somebody will eventually be brought up on charges; usually some poor, unsuspecting innocent, that figured it would be a "cool target rifle." The last time I acquired any R-12, I sold it to a reputable shop with a license to use it. ASE is, I believe, working on an EPA certification program, similar to the ones currently administered by IMACA and MACS. To my knowledge, they have not yet offered this service to the automotive field.
