Originally Posted by
FBinNY
Exposed alone means nothing of the sort. As any long time user of tubular tires can tell you, exposed cords mean nothing except that weather may get to them eventually. But eventually is a long time, and tires usually wear out or suffer a catastrophic cut before that happens. In any case, it's easy enough to weather seal the exposed area by any number of means.
The OP has said that the expected lifetime of the tire (on the rear) is about a year. It will be in the trash long before any significant deterioration of the cords. But, sealing them might not be a bad idea, but probably not necessary.
Originally Posted by
FBinNY
As for doing the manufacturer a favor, maybe but it's the long way around. Manufactures have quality control protocols in place, but know that 100% inspection of finished goods is cost prohibitive, and so expect a certain number of defective items to slip by. Plus there's a decent chance that the damage could have occurred in transit, or from the way the bale was tied for export. The manufacturer depends on the reseller to spot the defect before selling it, or as in this case the client to return it through channels.
We live in the real world where stuff happens, and it doesn't make any sense to blow every little thing way out of proportion.
Are these made in China/Taiwan?
I suppose any manufacture can have QC problems on occasion. However, perhaps one should remind companies that flaws like this aren't acceptable if they expect to sell top fo the line merchandise.