Buying over the net can be a risk when it comes the the warranty. The seller will do the warranty work, but you'd have to cover any shipping costs to and from. Then you have to pack it so it's not damaged. I know plenty of people who've had warranty work and issues with their new machines. Myself included. My Bernina was in the shop so many times the first few years I thought I'd go insane. Or at least it seemed like it! If I had to ship it that many times, I'd be dirt poor.
Many times, buying local is the way to go, as to support your small businesses and typically they offer free classes that often times makes up for much of the price difference.