Wish I could help, but I can't. I would be furious with the dealer for the lackluster help that you've been given. My only advice on this is that I would NEVER spend one more minute or one more cent in that shop!
I just got a Brother sewing/embroidery machine. Haven't tried the embroidery yet, but have tried several of the utility stitches and, of course, piecing a quilt top. It's my second Brother - the other was 6 years old and either fell or something fell on it during our summer travels. That was a cheapo model and it worked like a champ. The manual for the new Brother machine - it's the one with the 4 inch hoop - is the best sewing machine manual I've seen to date. It's actually helpful, not mystifying.
I'm sure someone will have experience with the machine you're interested in, and can give you more specific response. Good luck!