While I initially liked the local dealer, after spending time there they did put down other manufacturers and I don't care for that. I don't mind them telling me they've had problems repairing Singers as they're now made of plastic and keep getting out of time no matter what they do, but they tell me Brother machines are no good. I know a lot of people who have Brothers and who think they're great machines. They also told me that Bernina machines are difficult to navigate and difficult to work on. I tested them and found them as easy as the Janome and Pfaffs. As far as servicing them, if they're not a certified Bernina dealer, yes, it could be a problem for them. I don't mind facts but they gave me too many opinions and were clearly trying to tell me that their machines were the only ones to consider. In my travels during this machine search, there were several dealers who said that there were a lot of goo machines out there and then they told me what theirs' had to offer. Now that I think about it, I don't have a lot of trust in the local dealer. Too bad as I really did want to buy from them.