Every time I see threads like this, I am ever so glad to have a wonderful dealer close by! People drive hours - really! - to go to Penn Yan Sewing (aka "Leroy's"). Owned and operated by a Mennonite family.
They are a Bernina dealership, but service all brands. Very friendly and helpful. If they are busy and you need just routine cleaning/tune up, you can schedule it, bring it in the morning and pick it up later that day. Some folks do this and go to the Windmill, a craft/farm market nearby, to "kill time". There is also a wonderful Mennonite fabric shop a couple of miles down the road. Can't say LQS exactly, as it's in a metal pole barn type building and no cute ambiance - but good prices, selection and service.
Re are they worth it? Well, my 1st Bernina was purchased with part of my inheritance from my father's estate. Almost 20 years later, I still have and LOVE my 153QE. Still works as beautifully as the day I brought it home, in spite of being pushed onto a concrete floor!!! I do wonder about the newer models, that are so computerized. It just seems that the software will be obsolete sooner rather than later, and replacing motherboards is quite pricey.
They are extremely heavy, so I bought a Janome for travel/classes. Hated the stitch quality. Thought perhaps a bit higher Janome, known for being popular for classes and such, might be a better option, so tried that too. Nope. It sits unused. The poor quality of stitches and the lack of power turned me off. So I bought another Bernina, an Activa 240. Another great machine. Slightly smaller than my 153QE, but every bit as much as a work horse! I can easily sew through 8 layers of fabric when making bags.
Along the same line: A friend is as loyal to Pfaff as I am to Bernina. She was quite surprised to recently find that parts for her machine, not 10 years old, are no longer readily available! Annoying indeed.