I purchased my Bernina when I lived in Charleston, SC. Fortunately, I was able to take the lessons before I moved. Now that I live in Tennessee, I get excellent service from the dealer in Knoxville. Moving has not been a problem for me; but I do think it is best to buy from your local dealer if you want the lessons; otherwise, you will probably have to pay for the lessons. If you are looking at the 830, my dealer said that you could take the lessons on line. If that is the case, you could buy from the dealer with the best price and hope that the dealer nearest you would do a good job with service. Since I have been sewing for 61 years, I am more interested in service. I can usually read the manual and figure out what to do.