Soon after I started quilting I went to an Expo at Puyallup and looked at sewing machines. All the dealers there assured me that if I bought from them I could get classes and service locally. I checked with one of the local dealers and was told that their classes were just for their customers. So no, you are not necessarily treated as well elsewhere, at least as far as classes go. I wound up buying another brand of machine locally, and I opted for a service maintenance agreement. When that ran out, I bought another one. I think it is worth the $ to have the option of taking my machine in as often as I want for cleaning, adjusting, etc. and not to worry about what any repair might cost.