I've had physical dealers that were incredible to work with (Pass) and others that we abominable (Mc), and I've had on-line dealers that were some of the worst experience in my life (a leading tube vendor in CA comes to mind...), and others that were some of the best experiences in my life (AS).
The best analogy I can think of was what happened when Amazon started to kill off brick-and-mortar retailers. Amazon has really changed the retail game in a positive way, and yet there are still sometimes I would prefer to walk into a store a talk to someone particularly when they provide excellent customer service (not always the case). With regard to high-end audio stores... they are unfortunately too far and few in this era.
As far as international sales go you have to also consider that people who work, travel, or have dual residence or have family overseas will sometimes shop locally when the dollar is as strong as it is...40% or more in some cases... and buy from local authorized dealers with whom they can still work with legitimately. Sometimes you can also find additional versions of gear that is not even imported in the US. I've seen products sell for one-third of what dealers are asking for in the US. One could replace the item twice and be about even with US purchase prices. Just ask Australians about this. It just depends. Arbitrage 101. Domestically, yen or euro denominated purchases have almost always seen price increases. The AudioDesk record cleaner was price reduced lately and I thought that was a very honorable move that still maintained margins.
Last comment, sometimes buying used gear makes sense and that is the prerogative of the seller - it's their property - and the buyer... it sells at a discount for a reason... like you said it could lack a warranty or the customer service from vendors who really do earn their business. When dealers provide a great experience and value - without gouging or exploiting favorable exchange rates - then you have an excellent sales experience whether through on-line or physical sales channels. I'm glad your story workout out so well for you. Great customer service is timeless.
