I picked mine up in person at my LHS Saturday morning. It was boxed within a pristine Lionel shipping carton and, inside that, within a hermetically sealed, heavy-duty plastic bag that also appeared untouched/factory sealed. However, once I cut open the bag I found all three of the round, clear plastic tapes that seal the product box had already been sliced open. When I examined the components, all seemed well although the remote had a couple of light scratches and the three contact strips on the underside definitely evidenced at least some minimal amount of cradle time in a base.
I haven't tried it out yet, and probably won't go through the hassle of an explanation/exchange/return if it functions correctly, but I have to ask--has anyone else had a similar experience with their "new" unit?
Like others, I have been waiting a long time for this thing and was excited to pick it up, but found this to be a little disconcerting and a bit of a disappointment.
