Fair enough, but let's not overlook the other major corner 'mail order' bikes cut: retail shop/sale. There is a definite added cost to this step; added value is open to question, specific to individual instances.

You told a story; I'll tell a story. The last bike I bought at a local retail shop was on their sales floor with too tight wheel bearing cones, mis-aligned stem, one brake adjusted tight and one brake adjusted loose, an out-of-true wheel and sketchy alignment on the index shifting. I pointed these issues out and they took my money and told me to come back in three days. Upon my return, despite them announcing the bike was 'ready to go' none of these issues had been corrected.

Why pay more for locally sourced incompetence?