Of course you should buy your Bernina from a local dealer. And there are differences between dealers on the education they offer with your machine. For instance, the 730E came with about 18 hours of lessons. The 830 is a very different machine; it probably takes more than 18 hours to learn to use it (correctly, and learn to use every feature). Be sure you investigate the education offered by your dealer, and get feedback from other customers to make sure the classes are well taught. It might be worth it to drive a little farther from home for a better dealer when you make your purchase!

There is a scam going on, on Ebay, where a Bernina 830 is offered up for $2500. Notice that the seller has no history on Ebay. He keeps popping up under new names, always with 0 feedback, and I see that there are always many bids. The scam is that there IS NO MACHINE. The seller takes the winning bidder's money, and never sends the imaginary machine. Complaints have been made, and Ebay just throws the offender off of ebay. So he comes back with a new name. The listing is always identical. Buy your machine from you local quilt store. There is just no late model Bernina that will sell for $2500. And NEVER deal with a seller who has no feedback. Certainly NOT for $2500. :shock: :shock: :shock: