I know there will be many groans about this, & yes I did go against the norm of going to a known dealer,(which I have done in the past). I have bought two guitars from Thomann's musikhaus, Treppendorf, in
Germany. First was an Epiphone Les Paul Special II HCS, with hard case.
It arrived within 7 days of placing the order, was very well packed & no damage.Minor retuning was required,but not a problem. The second, & it beats any uk price for purchase & delivery, was an Epiphone Les Paul Studio Deluxe Limited Edition with case,+ delivery within 7 days, for £245. My local dealer could only do the guitar for £300, the hard case being another £70+. Whilst I would still say check your local dealer first, do not be put off checking the various web sites for a good deal, maybe try to haggle, though it is not the way us brits usually do things.
Good luck & stick with it. Remember....practice,.. practice,..practice.