Scratched screws (N550JK) - refurb?

I've just received an Asus N550JK - and everything is fantastic. Everything, that is except the screws underneath. Most are slightly scratched/tarnished - but one of them on the front is very scratched.

Is this normal? Is it possible that I have received a refurbished laptop? When I bought the laptop I paid extra to have it checked before shipping - mainly because this check included a guarantee of no stuck, or dead, pixels. Because of this, the original seal was already broken before I received the laptop.

Is this just some bad assembly on Asus's part? Has anyone else received one with scratched screw heads? My wife has a much older Asus, and some of its screws are also scratched - and I know for a fact that it is not a refurb.

 

i wouldn't worry about that. Just be happy that you got a checked laptop where everything works fine. By the way - how much does this checking cost?

 

I've emailed the company I bought it from, and they have confirmed that it's not a refurb. However, they too think the tarnishing on the screws looks odd - and so they are going to contact their suppliers.

The check cost £14.99 - which seems quite a bit, but I was paranoid about getting a defective screen...

 

The auto screwing machine could have been having slight issues during manufacturing possibly but it is odd.

 

if would have paid even more for screen check.. now I have to deal with backlight bleed....And they won't replace it....

 

Well, the check also included checking sound, webcam, performance, and a "thorough check of casing" Can't have been that thorough really!

This is a photo of the worst screw:


I'm now in the process of returning the laptop - mainly as I'm worried about the affect on the Asus warranty.

 

Fair enough because they may believe you tried to open it.

 

It's possible the reseller did that accidentally in their inspection, though it certainly could have been from Asus' production line. Either way, Meaker made a good point; it's possible that Asus could suspect you opened it if you were to send it to them for warranty service. Better safe than sorry.