I called around the area to find someone who stocks a selection of Givi top cases so that I could see them in person and compare the various sizes. It seems most bike dealers only stock a few due to their bulky size. One dealer told me that if I was near Charlotte, NC, which I am, that there is a Givi distributor there and that they sell retail to the public.
So I called and they invited me to drop by and see their display of products. They had a showroom full of cases, including some mounted on bikes (The guy said they used to have an Swing demo all decked out with windscreen and top case until one of their employees wrecked it). I was able to do a thorough comparison since the models I was interested in were displayed side by side.
I selected my model (E 52 Maxia II in flat black with built in stop light) and was ready to pay. The guy asked me if I wanted them to install it. I thought, "yeah right, now they are going to gaff me". I had planned on installing it myself but asked anyway, "So, how much?" And to my surpize he said "Nothing, we install it for free". I was shocked and thought, "heck yeah, sounds like a deal to me".
I was treated with good ole fashion southern hospitality; offered a drink and snacks as I waited in their break room where I perused a copy of Scoot magazine. It took about 30 minutes for him to install and wire the case for me (much faster than I could have done it myself).
So, I admit, I did have to pay MSRP which was altogether about $40 more than if I had ordered it (not including shipping) but I figure that was worth the price since they installed it for me and I did not have to pay for shipping.
So it was a good experience all around and I rode home with my new case.