One point that I failed to mention is that a few months after I purchased the bike, the ownership changed. I've always wondered if this has played a role in the process. That said, Kuota has been beyond awful and even today their website still lists the bad email address that they said they never read.

I honestly don't know whether it's a scratch or something more serious, which is why I took it to the shop. I suppose I am more sensitive to what I'm being told now since today, having a scratch is "common" but when I took it in, that was not mentioned. The shop did say that paint/finish cracks are common but since it's in the rear wheel well, I wondered. (Photo attached) Is a scratch like this really that common? I'm willing to accept that it's a simple reality of carbon so would like an honest, neutral answer.

I'm also wondering since they took nearly three months and now I'm 3 months away from my warranty expiring. The entire experience with Kuota and the local shop has been very disappointing. For the money I paid for an otherwise wonderful bike, I expected a lot more. Thanks again for your feedback.