Have we heard the whole story? You can never know what to say when someone is looking for a opinion but leaves out important details. Did they have your overseas address to send the new case from you ordering it initially? or? Do you think a heat gun would have loosened the glue? Did you call and ask the manufacturer for assistance when it looked like the job might not be as straightforward as you though?

I don't understand this sentence :"I had an electronic component where the end of the case had broken off. The damage was caused by normal usage and not the result of crash damage or mishandling" How could it not be mishandling if it broke?, is it designed to fall apart after a certain amount of uses?(pics!)

You seem to not want to say exactly what the component is, and I'm guessing you haven't posted the pic you sent them also in the name of anonymity? I think for the manufacturer this seems like a "No good deed goes unpunished" situation....I bet they have had other customers change cases successfully, but knew it might not be for everyone so hesitated. Cmon, spill the beans! Todd