Bailey, I think you did get the lemon. I've owned two Terry products and have never had the kinds of problems you've had. As a matter a fact, in my Terry 5er, I found it difficult to find a flaw on the interior constuction. It was what I couldn't see and other features that made me decide to upgrade to something better. I guess no matter what you buy, there are risks. Hopefully I'll be lucky on my new Cardinal.