The OP made the correct decision in this situation. With TMR within driving distance there really should not be any doubt.
The dealer is not a dealer. They are a showroom and order taker. They offer no support or service. Buy them or not, no recourse. Speakers are a personal item, and a listener needs to be sure that the speaker will sound great *in their listening room*. What sounds great in a showroom may sound a lot different at home or in another location.
I would do business with TMR going forward and forget about the dealer. I understand that we want to support local dealers. But support should be mutual and in this case it was not.