I see this completely differently, in almost every respect. I do order stuff on line and it's great and all... But for something like a ballast (I also use Lumatek) or other crucial equipement, local instore purchasing is the only way to go. You did save $40 up front, but there is where the value stops and in the face of saving pocket change, real world issues can become unclear. Once that purchase is complete, you are pretty much on your own. I prefer to pay the extra $40. It's a small sacrifice to hedge against what could become a major loss. Call it an insurance policy, but if that equipement breaks your screwed. Your options then become very clear. Either go out and find a replacement as quickly as possible (expensive), or scrap your grow and ship your broken equipment back to where it came from and wait for them to do something about it before starting all over again (very expensive). I hear what y'all are saying, but it's times like this that make spending that $40 bucks up front seem like the best idea ever conceived... I have said it many times... But when I buy locally and something malfunctions, I prefer that little $40 option/insurance policy to have it replaced and be back on track with in the hour, max. Small price to pay, really. The only time on line value should even be a consideration is when you have plenty of back up equipment to rely on which, ironically, is rarely the case.