I'm buying right away, but now I'm trying to decide the 'where' aspect.
I can find the cheapest on the web by far and avoid having to pay sales tax (I'm in California), but there's definitely more convenience having someone deliver locally and set it up.
I have heard instances where Circuit City will come down in price when you tell them what you can get an item for on the web. They won't match it, but they will give you a better price, sometimes. It's a tough decision though.
If you have trouble with it, you will wish you had bought it locally. If no trouble, you will be glad you bought it over the internet. If the difference is 10% or more, I would buy on the web. Less than 10% difference buy locally. I just made these numbers up, so don't think this is some kind of rocket science.
Make sure you are comparing bottom line prices too. On the web you don't pay sales tax, but you do pay shipping. Make sure you include that. Are you going to buy and Extended Warranty? If so make sure you include that too.
I have not bought one yet and I am having trouble making the decision also. I really shop the local stores and make sure I am getting the best deal I can get locally before making my decisions on stuff like this. I prefer to buy locally, but when what I want is $2700 locally and I can get it for $2000 on the internet delivered, it's hard to justify the price difference.
I'd ditto what JimKW said above... one BIG thing buying locally (most of the time) is if you have a PROBLEM... getting something done about it.
Most internet dealers wash their hands of you the minute you sign for the delivery.
Unless their is a BIG differance buy locally. Another consideration is by buying locally keeping your local vendors in business...
AND keeping those tax dollars in your local enconmy... Buying online is great, but at some point the local tax man if they don't get enough money from local sales will step in and raise other taxes.... so in the end they WILL get those tax dollars somewhere else. (Sucks but it's true) For example in my city the idiots at City Hall have run off business's .... What is the City doing? well they've rasied my property tax 500% over the past ten years.
I'm looking into moving into another county, and building a house myself where the tax rates are cheaper.
There is NO reason to have marble walls, and floors in the basement of the courthouse.... wonder who paid for those marble floors, walls, and bronze fixtures in the basement????
How did they get that money?
Taxes of course.
HEY, Google something called FAIR TAX !!!!!
It does AWAY with the IRS... Everyone pays the same. Does away with inheritance tax, etc.... and best of all is a way to get ALL the illegal's to pay TAX they are now currently NOT paying! (They are getting FREE medical care, Free school for their kids, etc.. and are now not currently having to pay for those services.)
The Fair Tax purposal would encourge them to become /enter the USA LEGALLY... instead of just running accross the boarder ILLEGALLY.. and getting FREE Services.... (Services YOU and I pay for, that we don't get for FREE)