I find it annoying as I buy all kinds of things online, including my sewing machine and serger. In this instance though I don't think they are trying to control how you shop so much as your experience with your new machine and how dealers support it. They want to be sure you get full instruction and machine support at this price point. They want you happy with the machine. To ensure that they want your to test it and have somewhere to go if you have questions. You can't get that by shopping online.