totally agree with you quiltmom......the quilt shop/sewing machine dealer that I worked for repaired & serviced ANY and ALL brands of machines. Some of the folks that came in with one of the "clunkers" that was totally out of timing ('cause the machines don't have the proper feeding system, and owners would try to "help by pulling" fabric from the back...could not believe that it would cost them $70 to clean/service/time their 3 month old machine that cost them $150.
It's kinda sad, really.....'cause they don't know.
Still true what I said before...'you get what you pay for'...whether it's the dollar menu at McDonald's or buying a sewing machine. This has been a lively discussion on this subject.