I had mine replaced for free too --- I met the owner at the PCT kickoff event last spring, and he and his crew were really nice folks. If you look at the specifics of this situation, they've got a great product with specific advantages that they're aggressive about improving anytime a problem occurs.

It's true the old tried & true black Garcia model isn't failing anywhere, but the areas of failure for the also widely used BV are quite small. Rae Lakes caused one upgrade, and now this one bear colony somewhere else. Period, as far as I know. And at a similar price point to the Garcia (Bearikade is much more expensive) the bearvault models make it a lot easier to pack the can with a wider opening, clear plastic body, and not having to worry about finding a coin or similar tool whenever you want to open the can, plus the BV models are waterproof --- after standing my Garcia upright in the rain one time I quickly learned to leave it upside down if rain was possible, but I also suspect that the threaded cap design of the BV means not just keeping rain out but letting less odors escape.

I don't mean to be a major BV apologist here, but I've been happy and still am happy with mine, and again --- I felt their customer service was outstanding, and I always like to see that sort of thing rewarded.