is why I refuse to buy regs if I can't get parts, can't service them myself, and am forced to pay these kinds of prices.
And no, the mantra of "buy it from an authorized dealer" doesn't solve a thing. I STILL pay the same price - just up front.
Some manufacturers (Apeks and Poesidon in particular) are amazingly punitive on their annual kit prices, and have an amazingly-extensive annual "must replace" kit.
And of course, your "authorized dealer" must use an "authorized parts kit", even if the O-rings in there are the exact same pieces you can buy anywhere - for a tenth or a hundreth of the price.
As an example, an EPR O-ring in any of the "common" sizes is about a nickel each. That is in reasonable quantities (buying 20 or so - a buck's worth - at a time.) Buy 100s or 1000s and the price comes down even further.
Where they "get 'ya" is that there ARE a few parts that you CAN'T buy anywhere else. Specifically, HP (and LP for seconds) seats. And while those might not require ANNUAL service, they do require REGULAR service.
There's a bizness here for someone who wants to make these parts - much like there are aftermarket brake pads. The only "gotcha" for someone doing it is that the market would be limited to hobbyists (like myself), since the manufacturers, I suspect, would instantly cancel anyone's dealership who got "caught" using aftermarket parts.
There is a structural issue in this industry that needs to be addressed..... whether it can (or will) be is another matter.