I just ordered a fluval 404, jaeger heater, and a thermometer, and it arrived in 3 buisness days, and I live in WI. I am sure if you raise a little hell with any comapany though, they are bound to do something, like cellphone companies, they will fix it for free after the warranty, because the word of mouth is soo strong. Look at all the free advertisment Big Al's and www.thatpetplace.com is getting just through this post! and look how south it can go with a few bad complaints!
I'm lucky. I'm about a 20 minute drive from That Fish Place/That Pet Place. I love it. That's where I buy everything but consumables (food, chemicals, etc) for my fish, including livestock. It's truly an impressive place to shop. The people know what they're talking about too. Nothing but great experiences there. I usually price out what I'm getting in a shopping cart online and then drive out there and pick it all up. Works wonders.