Jerks. Let's see what they say. I'd also point out that you're aware of another tank with the identical failure. What are the odds that out of all the thousands of tanks they sell you happened to bump into the only other one in creation that has the same defect? The odds are zero. That means there are more of them out there than just ours that have failed and Spectra surely is aware of it.
I dealt with the seller, NPD, not with Spectra. I was also the purchaser 2 1/2 years ago. As you said, it shouldn't matter. Just like Craftsman tools, it should be replaced no matter who owns it.
How a company deals with customers and problems after the sale is more important than how they treat them before and during the sale. Taking care of this issue will go a long way toward you referring others to their products in the future. Telling you to get lost will surely mean that you'll never recommend them to anyone and will go out of your way not to buy their products again.
