Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wanted to like this turntable I was in the market for $400 TT, did the usual research, reviews, lots of reviews. The idea of doing business with a US startup company, I thought, would a good thing to do. My first TT arrived, very nicely packed. Very easy to setup. All was well until I lowered the dustcover. Suddenly the speed began to vary (a lot). The culprit was the dustcover, rubbing against the edge of the record...it was very obvious...and very annoying. I contacted UTurn and explained the problem. They said that the dustcover was warped, and sent me a new one...same problem. They asked me to send my TT back so that they could replace it with a a new one. When UTurn inspected it, they informed me that the plinth was out of spec, but it somehow passed QC testing. Before I sent it back I noticed that the dustcover was not flush with the front of the plinth. It was back about 3/32”, enough to touch the record. The replacement arrived and I set it up. Again I observed that the dustcover was not flush with the front edge. All was well until I lowered the dustcover...oh no, not again. Record’s edge rubbing against the dustcover! Cover up, no problem, cover down, not acceptable. I also noticed that that the original TT had a beautiful maple plinth. The second TT has a plinth that looks like 4 pieces of maple were glued together... not aesthetically pleasing. I have contacted UTurn Audio and am awaiting their reply. Depending on their response I will either keep it, or get a refund and buy a Pro-Ject or a Rega... Lastly, I also observed what other reviews have already addressed...the belt. I don’t play any 45’s, but the belt will, when it first starts, hold its shape (the part of the belt that is around the radius of the motor pulley). After several revolutions, it will settle, but it is inconvenient...wonder how long the belt will last... UPDATE: I received an email from one of the founders this morning (7/23). He informed me that they have seen only 3 out of approximately 55,000 TT that have this problem. I seem to have gotten two of them... what are the odds? He suggested that I get a walnut plinth instead, since this rubbing problem has never been seen with walnut...seems strange, but I will try it. Given this ongoing hassle, I suggested that he extend the warranty for an additional 3 years...he refused and said that the TT, should it develop a problem after the 2 year warranty, they probably cover it... not the response I was expecting. He agreed to send a few extra drive belts, stating they they have a useful life of about 1,000 hours. Throughout this process, they have been responsive, however if they simply tried closing the dustcover prior to shipping, this entire problem would never have existed in the first place. Once I receive the walnut one I will post an update. UPDATE: 7/26/18... Received the walnut one and set it up, problem with the record rubbing the dust cover. Dust cover fits the walnut plinth perfectly. I would suggest that you stay clear of the maple and go with walnut...it looks great and sounds even better. I upgraded to the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge from the 2M Red, very noticeable difference. Worth every penny. Nothing wrong with the 2M Red... can always upgrade later... it is a very nice TT... IMPORTANT UPDATE 7/27/18 I went to level it today and discovered that the walnut plinth was bowed very badly. Decided that doing QC on three turntables is a lot less fun than sitting back and listening to vinyl... this one is going back... done with this.