They are not fibbing, leaving the lines open like that most likely got enough debris inside your accumulator and condenser to make them unusable. You can try just replacing the accumulator and trying to blow out the condenser, but I think you'll end up with dirt in the line and hurting the system down the road. The compressor is going to be your major expense though, the condenser (new aftermarket from like Keystone or 1800RADIATOR) should only be like 150 or less, and accumulators are cheap.
If you do not pay to do it right up front, you'll pay to do it right again later. All it takes is a grain of debris inside the line to make for a hot day, and I promise it will wait until it is 140 degrees outside to lock up.
