Most of us will have an opinion (good and bad) on dealers and importers, and I guess given the topic those comments are somewhat on topic to an extent, although the topic is more about pricing issues rather than quality.
Dealers (working out of a shopfront/"factory") will usually be dearer - there are overheads, and none of us here would work for free. It is a trade off, and as mentioned dealers can be a good source of recruits for the hobby.
It's almost a rite of passage to be reamed by a dealer with your first game!! 
