$120 is about avearge around these parts for a 'buffing'. They use really cheap stuff, its very rare that you will find a professional detailer who uses high end stuff like Klasse, Poorboys, Zaino, Menzerma etc.
The swirl remover frequency depends on your washing techniques. This is 90% of where swirls are created. If you wash on weekly basis you'll have way more swirling than a car that is washed once a month and kept in a garage. Using halogen lights is the best method to determine when you need to remove swirls.
If you can see them in plain daylight under the sun or under parking lights then its bad. I never do swirl removal more than twice per year(max) because I am extremely cautious in washing methods. With a dark colored car I would completey refrain from dry dusting the surface and I would keep quick detailing between washes down to a minimum. If you must... spray each panel with a quick detailer (I use FK 146, bought it by the gallon) and wipe in the direction of the wind, flip towel. And don't use autostore Micro fiber towels. They are nothing more than janitorial towels repackaged for car lovers, horribly over priced and too rough for your paint and have to be washed several times to be particle free. Buy a 12 pack of towels (with silk binding or waffle weave) from Poorboysworld.com or detailcity.com and you'll find your paint will show dramatically fewer swirls.
If you live in an apartment (I just moved to a condo in gated community, no garage) I
HIGHLY recommend two things:
1-Optimum No-Rinse (available at
Detail City)
2-ditching the car cover or using it ONLY after you have washed the car (and the cover!). putting that cover on a dirty car will get the inside of the cover dirty and it will be running sand paper across your paint. If you have covered parking a cover seems more trouble than help.
Optimum No-Rinse and another product called QEW are must haves during winter and for those who don't have access to a hose on a regular basis. Buy a bottle of either (ONR is said to be better than QEW), get yourself two one gallon buckets, a sea sponge,a couple of wafle weave towels for paint and an absorber for the top and glass. I like to spray the almost dry car with FK 146 to reduce swirling during drying. ALso, You can go to Lowes or Home Improvement and get one gallon pesticide sprayers($8) to wash your wheels and top or simply go down to those coin operated places to rinse your top to lift the dust from the canvas.
here's a thread that outlines its use.
http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32078