I have rarely been disappointed with the fabrics I have purchased on line. I am always watchful of the fabric content. Once in awhile that can get thrown off. Color and pattern wise most online retailers are pretty careful to match and give a scale marking for you to get the best idea of what is really there. Color of course can be a bit tricky depending on the setting of you monitor I personally have never had this issue. I buy the majority of my fabrics from Fabric.com. or Hancock of Paducah. I do experiment with a few others from time to time but when experimenting or buying for the first time I stay with sale fabrics.
Like you I do not have a LQS near me and I want that quality so I avoid JAF when ever possible.Online shopping is the next best thing.