SS wouldn't have to charge so much for shipping or tax if they'd get the hell out of California.In general, a lot of collectors don't like that sideshow charges a relatively high shipping price w/o double boxing included while other retailers charge equal or even lower shipping rates than SS while including double boxing. Also, a lot of collectors don't like being charged tax if you're in the US or other fees if you're international from SS. There are still some places to order that won't charge you tax on top of the MSRP+shipping. Lastly, lots of folks are choosing to go with overseas retailers as they're paying the same or even less than what SS charges, getting the figure faster and typically paying no extra fees like tax/VAT.
I will say that on higher priced items, I tend to prefer to order from SS or US retailers that get their stock from SS in the event I get a defective figure. They make it pretty easy to get a replacement
EDIT: and as @Entropy mentioned below, the RPs now expire, so you can't just keep stacking them up for a big purchase any longer. The RPs system seem to only really be especially beneficial if you pretty much only buy all your collectibles direct from SS.
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