Interesting thread and like some i have also purchased online but!!, try your local camera store prior to going online as they or most of them will come somewhere close to the online price allowing for the rent, wages etc,etc and at days end if you can purchase aprice say within eg say canon 7D online one will pay somewhere around the $1300 dollar mark and last wekk i was quoted a price of just under $1600 for the same camera with the willingness to talk turky come crunch time to buy.
Now that to me would be personally the best way to go especially if at days end i had a problemo arrise with the camera as i could just take the camera back to the store, hand it over the counter and with a please attatched to the camera they would send it away for me under their warrent policy whereas buying online most times its your resposabillity to have it posted there and back and the cost could very well be at your expence.
Give you a wee example.. mate recently purchased a Flash unit for his 7D and i also as well as a couple of mates for the same Flash unit.. All bar one have worked just fine to date with this particular mates flash giving up the ghost when he went to use it at night on a cold night too!!??...Cause unknown??, got back to supplier and they told him "yes it was under warrenty, but his responsabillity to get it to them and back" ...
Cost of sending there and back plus insurance would make it cheaper for him to purchase another one!!!. In the meantime he said "St%ff yous and purchased a canon flash localy hoping same thing didnt occur again.
Noy saying not to purchase online/Grey but just shop around , ask, and do your homework first...
I have purchased ample online and so far the only thing i have had to complain about is a five dollare remote which to date has not arrived but for that price i havent lost sleep over..
All else so far i have no complaints.
Again when i purchased my 5D11 and lens i did as previousely advised and purchased locally the saving that i would have had online did not outweigh the loss of sleep regarding "had i had a fault now or later with the camera, But my Birding lens !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Huge difference!!!!!!!!!!! so purchased online..
Lot of ranting maybe but hope this may help some before purchasing...
Cheers