Did your online research reveal anything about a company's response once an unqualified technician services a unit?

I don't think they will honor a warranty or otherwise make amends if an end user takes their product apart and can't get it back together.

You are pointing out what you feel is an "obvious design flaw," but based on this description I would ask if you followed the factory repair procedure. Which document did you use, and what step or page number describes a procedure you were unable to perform?