You did the right thing to push back. Some of these companies talk about “precision” and “perfection” in their marketing, yet they ship imprecise and imperfect products then gaslight the customer in an attempt to avoid a return. It’s not OK.
This is by no means unique to Pitaka (looking at you Caudabe)…
I would also consider any claims about protection in the same manner. If mishaps were predictable, and logical, safety industries would have gone out of business long ago, and some lawyers would have to find billable hours elsewhere.
No production line has output that is 100% free of defects. But like retail shrinkage, the industry accepts that and deals with it in a manner that is most practical and cost effective.
The truth of the matter is that production lines in China spit out thousands upon thousands of accessories like this, and not all of them will be caught before shipping, or noticed by users who aren't OCD about their cases. At the end of the day, it's just an injection molded piece of plastic that is embellished with some trim or ornamentation.
If a defective unit prompts complaint, these brands can still profit even after shipping a replacement because that $80 paid covered the startup tooling, marketing and overhead for something that costs a few dollars, if that, to make. The brand then gets praise for their customer service, and business rolls right along.
Same applies to the $40 screen protectors, which are even easier to pass off because the differences are fewer, and harder to discern, and they are even more likely to be white label products with value added by strong marketing campaigns, including social media.
Apple doesn't bother with business segments that it doesn't consider worthwhile, or significant to such a large company. The fact that it is engaged in the case business is tacit acknowledgment that is can be a good business, to the degree that they want in on it as well.
