Would you rather buy piece by piece ... OR ... Buy a package from someone like LeisurePro or my LDS ... (and no servicing for a year)?
I see three interwoven questions in your post: 1) packages vs individual items, 2) new vs used, and 3) LDS vs on-line. Responses primarily reflect personal preference, rather than data-driven recommendations, and mine is no different. Personally, I do not endorse packages. While functional, they do not necessarily include individual items a diver might prefer, or even need - they are just as likely to reflect an assortment of items that the seller wants to 'move', clustered around a marquee item - a particular BC or a reg, for example. You would be well-served to buy individual items, that you want. New or used is a second level question. I bought all new initially, as a new diver, and have never regretted doing so, with the possible exception of a cheap (Trident) reel, on which I thought I was saving money. As a new diver, I wasn't familar enough with scuba gear to feel confident in making used purchases. As I gained experience, and familiarity with gear, I became more comfortable in my purchases (first a couple of backplates, then several wings, then a computer, then regulators, most recently some double tanks). I have had generally good experiences with used gear on eBay, although I did get one regulator with a cracked second stage housing (which I replaced myself for $20), a BP harness that was not the advertised size (which the seller willingly accepted back as a return), and a double tank wing that was unnecessarily massive, reflecting my BP/W inexperience at the time. In buying used, I generally buy brands / models with which I am already familiar (the wing being an exception, and a learning experience). Finally, the LDS vs online purchase question is the subject of a substantial number of SB threads, and I can't add much beyond (again) personal opinion. I have benefitted enormously from establishing a relationship with a LDS, where I did my first OW class, and have purchased all of my new gear there over 9 years. I probably could have 'saved' a few dollars on the actual purchase price of my first BC and regulator if I had purchased online, but the benefits - intangible and tangible - of the LDS relationship have so exceeded any price differences that, for me, it is a no-brainer.
