To the dealers whom are bitching:
Why exactly are you bitching? Is it because you realize that you add no value and the only reason someone would buy from you is because you have a reseller account? If that is the case I question your reason for existing. Perhaps you should think of things you could be doing to improve your store rather than complain.
MyBB makes up a small volume of total people in SA. Most of the sheeple will still buy from their local store (because they don't know any better or buy on impulse), but hey the reseller model failed in the US in terms of computer hardware, just about all sales there are directly from distributors whom buy from the manufacturers. I think that as soon as someone starts up a decent web-site with good service that does exactly that, it'll completely destroy the current market. I almost always buy from the cheapest (unless I know they really suck at service). After all, they only send the components to my door. That was the total of value added. Shipping. And even with that they just act as middleman. No point to the model when it comes to computer hardware/software IMHO.
The only model that makes sense in my mind is Manufacturer(s) -> Distributor(s) -> Customer(s). Since the Manufacturer deals with warranty anyway, the distributors only purpose is to keep stock, check that something is actually broken and deal with shipping. SA end user stores don't keep stock, don't usually have the skills to properly handle checking hardware and only negotiate shipping on your behalf. Out with them I say.
Just my 2c on the whole situation.
nicely written argument
I can only agree with you on this subject