I have recently purchased a Thermador cooktop and a Bosch dishwasher from an on-line store that also has retail locations. The items have yet to arrive, however.

I do not have any concerns about service because the manufacture will arrange the in warranty service and I have a good high end service company nearby ("North Town" in the northern Chicago suburbs)

DON'T USE NUMBER 1. Most terrible experience ever! I ordered 4 appliances from them for my kitchen remodel (over $7,000). I requested their white glove delivery for $89 more. First of all, I ordered and paid 4-23-09. Was told with white glove it would be 14-21 days delivery. No problem. After 21 days of nothing, I contact #1 and they said the items are on back order and will ship 5-22. OK..6-1 and still no items. I check the tracking and find the items are now in Los Angeles and waiting to be delivered. I call the delivery company and tell them I'm in great need of these items. June 9 they are delivered by not white glove people but regular delivery guys (small ones at that). They carry my 375 lb double oven up stairs, then the GE profile fridge, then the dishwasher which for some reason they do not want to unpack. Then the cooktop and it's unpacked with a box. One of the delivery guys cuts his hand delivering the double oven. So...a few days later my installer checks out the stuff and finds their are many parts of the cook top missing! I try to contact #1 by e-mail, and phone and they won't talk to me. I notify my CC company and try for a charge back (after 10 days of nothing) I find the same cooktop on ebay for $190. less and buy it! Then #1 is my best friend and starts sending me the parts which I refuse. When my cooktop gets here in 6 days, perfect! I use that box to FedEx the missing parts one back. They get it 7-9 and finally 8-3 they credit my CC but not for the return shipping! Because they were so late in delivering my items, I missed a $75 rebate on a dishwasher. They advertise a 10 year warranty but I got nothing in writing from them. I had to use my online confirmation for the the rebates. Anyway, I used UBIDUWIN100 on eBay for the cooktop (KA). They sell a lot of new appliances. Free shipping! Proper invoices too. I would use them again in a heartbeat!

Around here, I think people have had good luck with AJ Madison.

I purchased a Bluestar rangetop and Prestige Hood/Blower from Eurostoves. They let me cook on it before I purchased it and have provided great post-sales support. I live 500 miles from their store so except for a visit to test the rangetop all of my interactions with them have been via email. I had a couple of glitches after purchasing. I got faster/better support from Trevor than from my local retailers.

Checking on an older thread, people also seem to like Abt in the Chicago area.

Do you have a decorator or an interior designer? You could ask them to furnish the kitchen themselves and most of the time, they get discounts from retailer. On top of that, they will arrange guarantees and warranties for you.

I ordered new electrolux appliances from AJ Madison on August 6th. They said I would receive them around the 17th. I got a call yesterday that they would be delivered this morning before 10:00 a.m. They are in Brooklyn, NY and I am in the Texas panhandle, so I think that is pretty good. The best thing is I didn't have to pay any shipping or taxes on $$$$ appliances. That sure helps.

I will let you know how it goes.

The appliances were just delivered at 8:20 a.m. I have a carpenter coming this afternoon to do some cabinet work and recut my granite. So far, so good and no complaints.

Realize that if it all works out, good.

If the merchandise is late, wrong, damaged, not delivered properly, inoperable, you are going to to spend the cost savings in your own hard work.

If there is a local dealer, then I guess you are depending upon them to fix problems, without the benfit of any profit from a sale. How do you expect them to stay in business?

If there's no local dealer, how are you going to get it serviced?

A little off topic, but who does the installation of the appliances if ordered on-line? Some of these appliances, i.e. ranges and fridges are very heavy. I am in the process of ordering appliances and would LOVE to know what others have done! Thank you.

My granite guy installed the dishwasher and cooktop for me. My plumber did the fridge and the electician did the double oven. They were here doing other things at the time anyway. I negotiated it when getting estimates.
My duet washer broke down after 2 years and I had a extended service policy. The repairman came from a city 25 miles away.

I purchased a Bosch dishwasher from the same place mrtimewise did (in post 2 above) and just installed it yesterday. It arrived in perfect condition and I installed it myself.That was a learning experience as I'd never installed a DW before.

The vendor has been very responsive to any questions I've had.

If you purchase online, installation options would be:
1) self-install or,
2) have a trusted friend do it for you or,
3) hire a handyman or local installer

I purchased two freezers from AJ Madison last August--no problems whatsoever.

I'll buy my major appliances online when:
The online retailer will sponsor my local youth sports team, buy my daughter's Girl Scout cookies, donate time to a local charity, have their cars serviced in a local garage, use the corner dry cleaner's services, get a haircut, eat at a local restaurant, etc.

If you live in a "sales tax" state and are able to avoid the tax by buying online, you are helping fund those same services in the other locale, while not contributing to the cost of services you enjoy in your own community. Regardless of your home state's means of funding, your local economy is enhanced by your purchases of big ticket items from local dealers and loses when you buy from out of state. In these hard economic times your local retailers really need your support. Store owners and employees are active in your community and contribute to the economy by buying the goods and services that may well be connected with the way you earn your own living.

You can always get an online quote and use it as a negotiating tool with the local retailer. Most will try to either match the price, or provide extra services the online retailer cannot. To have a local company (with a reputation to uphold) looking out for your post-sale interests is an added bonus.

Here's a thought for any who watched last weekend's Solheim Cup golf tournament. If an attitude of support and loyalty like that shown by the American team members were to be shown toward the local retails in our communities, the economy would be well served.

Purchased refrigerator, dishwasher, and 2 ovens from ABT in Chicago. No problems - totally satisfied. they even price matched another online retailer.

The only trouble we had was installing the wall oven. could not find someone just to do the install. I had to hire an electrician myself to wire the oven, and had to recruit my painter to help lift the wall oven(s)into place with myself and the electrician.

I installed the DW myself.

There are many VERY GOOD online stores, and the one's we had good luck with were reputable brick and mortar stores too.