Originally Posted by kenshinvt

wouldn't they also have to swap the front derailleur and left brifter? which would also entail removing the FD cable and unwrapping the left side of the bar

seems like a lot of work for a shop to take on for a bike that may already be selling at what sounds like a competitive price

however, I would put my vote for this option too (tarmac w/ compact). One thing I didn't see mentioned is the shift performance of a triple vs double--it really is noticeable and should be passed up if you don't really need the gearing