I agree that you should buy a machine that can be serviced by someone in your gereral area ... meaning within driving distance. Personally I would not want to send my machine out for servicing but would rather drop it off at a nearby shop. It's good to meet your service person in person so you can have a nice relationship with him/her. They can give you so much information about your machine which will help you keep it in good running order. Good luck with your search and don't get too bogged down with the decision because you need to get sewing!!! Ha!