TWO weeks after contacting Cuisinart I get an email back asking for information. I provide it. I get another email asking for different information. I provide it.

Finally, they've confirmed that the machine is, in fact, under warranty and grant me a service number in order to get it fixed.

Who pays for a gaffe that is clearly Cuisinart's? The customer naturally. Return shipping both ways to the tune of roughly $20.

The money is irrelevant, but the principle that you can nickle and dime your customers after building such a horrendous product is shocking. Poor craftsmanship is by no means my fault. When I purchased the coffeemaker it was with the implicit promise (as well as an explicitly stated one via the warranty) that I was purchasing a machine that would work for years to come.

Stand behind your products and accept responsibility for your failings. Your warranty department is NOT a profit center!