I should probably have read your entire post lol.
If you can, avoid buying it in the pot. It's such a pain to pull it apart if it comes in rock wool with all the roots wrapped around the plastic pot.
Before you buy anything from a distributor, though, I would suggest you look around on this forum, The Planted Tank, and Aquatic Plant Central to see if anyone is selling any. You tend to get much better deals and healthier plants if you buy from other hobbyists