I agree. I now order most my stuff from BRS. MD's free shipping is very slow and most times I get stuff shipped free from BRS at about the same rate as I would from MD even though they have a warehouse in NV.
And there is no such thing as "tax free" in California. The tax was incorporated into the retail price of the product even if we didn't pay the tax. Somebody's gotta eat the cost and pay Uncle Sam, one way or another...