That's just a real bummer Focker, especially concerning such a specialty item - it just goes to show the homogeneous nature of these on-line shack warehouses.
A Fiio L9 line out cable or a PS1000, a $5 item versus a $1695 item - same thing to the stock picking man behind the PC watching the orders roll through,
it's just that - stock.
It's going to take time but sooner or later a contigency out here will emerge and realise that there is more to buying special goods than just price and the
convenience of having it delivered to your door, experiences like yours Focker are a stark reminder of what I've been saying over and over.
'Once a re-packager, always a re-packager'
I could not give two hoots for the accidental nature of the whole thing, whether someone knowingly sent you opened and funny sounding RS1i's deliberately,
or not - the bottom line is that it should never happen, and it never would if you deal with a brick and mortar joint that insists on never accepting returns for
anything other than faulty goods.
My local guy is a great example of such a place, no returns for change of mind, sure every now and then some customer gets stroppy that they cannot
'try before they buy' but the sacrifice is still not worth it - his reputation remains intact - new, unused stock only - no chances of ever getting a returned item.
