I'm a shop and I don't hate the big P or any of the others....

They do what they do, and we do what we do.

They often have lower prices on some, but not all items, but are pretty useless when it comes to actually supporting cycling, unless you happen to live in a city where they have a storefront. If you have a good LBS, do all you can to support them even if costs a few more dollars. You won't really miss those $$ at the end of the year, but if the shop is good, and is an asset to the local cycling community, you will feel it if they go under.

If you must buy from P, just get the ubiquitous Ultegra/Open Pro combo and commute on those.

BTW, if you send me a photo of the problem in a PM, I might be able to help you get those covered under warranty...