INDEED AliExpress has just destroyed solar panel install companies. I ended up spending just less than 10% of what had been quoted to $60,000 project that turned out to be just slightly North of $5k and with better parts/components.
It doesn’t matter how reputable dealers are after all once you hit a nice deal for the same or even better quality.
Just remember dealer is just a third party leech that is able to brainwash customer.
If you are a very large enterprise (Sony, Yamaha, etc) with too broad a portfolio, it makes some sense to have the middlemen.
Anything smaller should be all manufacturer direct...with no middleman leech leeching 50 to 80% for sending an email and shipping a box! The former sends the cash back over to the manufacturer so the guys who make the product get paid better, more investment in engineering r&d, etc, etc, etc
The leech adds nothing of value to product that sells itself on its own merit. If the manufacturer did his own promo, it sure as hell doesn’t cost as much as a lousy 50% that goes to the dealer leech (apparently, he did some promo bull).
I’d rather not go on a tangent and talk about real estate, the franchise mafias, etc. America has loved to reward the low aptitude middlemen a bit too much, just a bit too much (make him think he's real special everyday)...
Hifi is the worst offender...