The last time I tried to buy thru my Vanguard Brokerage account, I got a message that the transaction could not be completed without talking to a rep. I had never had a problem before. It actually saved me money as I now use E*trade for Edig purchases and they only charge $12.99 no matter how many shares. Vanguard charged a fee plus percentage of the sale for equities under $1.oo.
Jay