KUGO, sorry for your experience, but thanks for sharing the funny story.

You are certainly not alone in the....
I'm going to do the smart thing, only to have it smack you category.
As a general rule, I've always thought it's smarter to deal with an outfit I can trust if there is trouble with a product, than a commercial intermediary whose plan will be to baffle me with their bullshit. Even for a few more dollars. And anything electrical or electronic is right up there with things that may go south in shipping, or not be accepted for returns.