OK so here I sit hanging my head in shame.

Wheels may be right, and it looks like I am a total, or at least partial, doofus. It seems I didn't post the whole story, mostly because I didn't have the whole story.

My wife's bike is a men's 6.2. She did indeed have her seat raised after riding it about 3000 miles. I was not aware of this seat height change. Even though she knew how upset I was about the paint coming off, she left that little detail out. When she had her new fitting they put plain old electrical tape where the new height was over what appeared to be perfectly clean paint. Again, this is a new bike from last fall and was ridden inside all winter.

She took her seat with her on a business trip and after she put it back on at the correct (new) height she decided to take the tape off. The tape pulled off most of the clear coat under it, stuck to the piece of tape.

I still contend this is a "compromise" (read as defect) of the seatmast type of design.
Yes, I do like things I spend a lot of money on to stay in good shape, and yes I know they won't remain perfect. It is a choice and I will choose not to purchase this design of seat / post / mast.

/hanging head in shame