The problem is that some people do come in every day asking for help or so it seems and LHS get tired of handing out free advice or working on someone else's product, especially if it was purchase elsewhere. Quite frankly, I've seen people bring nitro RCs into their LHS and pay to get it tuned--then come back in later and complain about how it isn't tuned simply because they don't realize how the ambient temps effect nitro tuning.

It also appears that the particular hobby shop which you made your purchase must have had problems with past customers at least once--or they wouldn't be asking their customers to sign a piece of paper acknowledging their service policies. However, the choice is up to you and the customers whether to purchase from him or not. Myself, I would have second thoughts about making a purchase from anyone if they would have asked me to sign such a document.

I know many people who seldom purchase from their LHS simply because high volume stores can purchase enough volume to sell online at a cheaper price--basically, if they are racing and need a part right now because they don't have a spare, that is when they visit the LHS. Believe me, I've had a few bad experiences in my LHS, especially when they are listed as US distributors yet won't carry or order parts or certain brands. Some have also realized how much I spend on RC products and have called me to let me know when new products arrive.

When I was recently at iHobbyExpo, I made purchases from three different stores there and still purchased additional products from a LHS after the show. One of the stores at iHobbyExpo remembered me from RCX and the owner of the LHS I visited after the show remembered me from prior purchases and racing--that particular store is also a major online player in the RC world. The thing is that none of those are actually any of my LHS.

I guess my point is that like anything else, customer service is not the same everywhere and as a consumer, the consumer's interest will also be opposite the retailer. The thing is to meet half way. Of course, a good retailer will try to keep a customer happy so that the customer will become a repeat customer. Other retailers may just prey on the new customer. Online sales just provide another option and sometimes a better option for the consumer.