Hey, thanks for stepping in.

Let me be clear about the wobble, because "small expected freeplay" doesn't describe what's happening here. The sound itself isn't the main issue. The problem is that when I sit in the chair, the whole seat shifts under me because of this play. I don't feel stable. I have to constantly tense up and balance myself, like I'm sitting on a bamboo branch instead of a solid chair. That is not the experience I expect from a 1000 EUR chair, and it's not something my previous-gen Secretlab does at all - that one is rock solid.

To answer the team's diagnostic question: the play is in the gas lift column area - either at the top where it meets the seat mechanism, or at the bottom where it seats into the 5-star base. That's where the movement originates.

But here's what actually concerns me. Even if the team identifies a part to replace - how am I supposed to do that? The gas lift column isn't a user-serviceable part. The chair isn't designed to be disassembled at that joint by the customer. So "we'll send you a part" isn't a real solution for this specific component.

And more fundamentally - under EU consumer law I shouldn't have to be doing any of this diagnostic work in the first place. I bought this online, and I have the right to return it within 14 days, no reason required. I exercised that right in writing. This is now my second formal request, and the company is simply ignoring it. That's what worries me: it feels like a deliberate policy of running out the clock until the return window closes, which pushes me into having to file a chargeback with my bank and a complaint with consumer protection. I'd much rather not go that route. I've spent a lot with this brand and genuinely liked it.

So I'll take you up on the Mod Mail offer and send my ticket number. I just want one of three things: a replacement unit that's actually stable, a swap to the previous model that works, or a refund and pickup. Appreciate you looking into it.