True. Brick and Mortar Dealers are given the opportunity to run sales inside the store but not advertise the lower prices in periodicals or any sort of print ad. Net dealers also have to follow the same guidelines. However, there are many who advertise lower prices on the net, often ridiculous ones. These people more than likely do the bait and switch. Polk will come down hard on those who advertise their stuff for less than their set prices and ultimately cut the retailer off from all Polk products. The retailer often continues to display ads for products that they don't have, purchased as refirb or b stock, or got from other offshore sources to get them in the store. This is just wrong. We are allowed to sell items for less but we cannot display a net price for less than what they tell us or *poof* you are unauthorized and your warranty goes out the window and the retailer may be penalized.
So yes you can buy stuff cheaper in brick and mortar stores or when you email a net dealer for better pricing but these are rules that many merchants do not follow. This is all transparent to the buyer who is often unaware that the product they just bought has no warranty and it's the shady net dealer who doesn't tell them either. I personally would spend the few more beans and guarantee that my product has that 7 yr warranty rather than fint out 5 yrs down the road when it fails that it wasn't. There are great deals to be had online but being protected and knowing where they are difficult.
Tweeter is an example of a store that follows the rules and gives people discounts just as we do. You just won't see them advertising it on the net or in print. Forums such as this is where people can network and find the true bargains. This is why we love the HTF.