Originally Posted by
dwmckee
Don't rule out the local shops. Seriously. Some of the better ones have stock available locally, will order and have other pars in a day or two, and will match an online price if you ask. They also provide a lot of knowledge to be sure you are buying the right part in the first place so you do not get stuck with an incompatible part. They probably will not charge you for shipping and do not have minimum order amounts. And if you buy from them some will install free for you...
Sometimes I think people are so quick to order online that they forget about how helpful an LBS can be.
If that LBS was near me, I'd go to them for sure. But matching online prices, installing for free and taking the time to help you is too much and I suspect such a store would quickly go out of business.
All these online vendors can offer cheap prices precisely because they don't have the overhead of employing a tech and sales people.