Tammi, I got my tension going just fine, had to find the diagram, it had fallen off while moving it and dh put it back on wrong so I fixed it. My dealer also uses the pellon sandwiched in between cotton for test driving new sewing machines, which is why you should bring your own fabrics to try the machine on. I so agree with you on the test stitching.
Your dealer uses Pellon? That stuff is expensive! Test sews in general make me crazy. They're rarely indicative of real world. They're an indication of how well the person making the sample knows how to manipulate the machine. A lot of people who don't "get" tension yet will never get those results. Plus, there's no proof it was made on any given machine.
I am not liking my dealer, after you buy a machine you are a nobody and they are rude, but I need one and they are closest to me within one hour drive. Good dealers are worth a premium.