They still ripped you off. I got mine from Amazon for $330. But that was without a Joey. You can always get someone in the US get it and ship it. When you order Dish stuff, retailers do not have to link it to an account before shipping/ selling it. If they say they do then they are trying to upgrade you through Dish and get money for the install.
Perhaps in your opinion I was ripped off, and that's fine your entitled to your view and I have nothing against that. For me like I said it's not that easy for me to just go to the US and pick one up. I'm happy with what I got, have my Hopper with my Joey's, have my everything package with Dish and I'm content with that.
Yes its possible of going to the US and picking one up, but you have to remember I'm not a US citizen or resident, don't live in the US, so I'm not sure how Dish or Direct do their installes or how they ask the person buying the receivers.Also I'm not suire if this site sells Dish/Direct systems to Canadians and ships them here to Canada giving them a "US ADRESS" or not or any other site on the web from the US doing the same thing. Its more of fear of loosing my Dish Subscription then anything else.