Originally Posted by pm124
Another consideration is that you should use a reputable dealer like Thor or Gaerlan simply because some of the discount dealers might not take the bike back if there is something wrong. Sunrise is right down the street from Brands Cycle and Fitness, which offers similar prices to Sunrise, but wouldn't take my defective Dahon back. I don't know anything about Sunrise in particular.
It's funny to hear you call Brands a "discount dealer" as I grew up about a mile from their shop, so I think of them as an LBS. They have a good reputation in the area and they seem to do a good job putting their bikes together, although their clerks are completely clueless. I actually test rode a Curve D3 there one weekend when I was visiting my mother and after the ride the clerk told me that I should only shift the bike while pedaling. I tried to tell him that it has an internal hub, not a derailleur, but he had no idea what I was talking about. For what it's worth a Brands clerk told me on the phone that they give Dahons a tuneup before shipping, but I don't know if I believe that.
Also, I wouldn't exactly say that Sunrise Cyclery is "down the street" from Brands. I mean, yeah it's also on Sunrise Highway, but it's 15 miles away. Go 20 miles "down the street" in the other direction and you're at JFK.