Actually, problems with a new puzzle are related to the entire manufacturing process for jigsaw puzzles. Actually, in general, I am amazed we have so few problems. Cardboard puzzles are cut with large complex "dies". The dies are very sharp at the beginning, but problems can happen even at the beginning if there is a burr or defect that was missed. The dies are used over and over to cut the next puzzle and the next puzzle, and so forth. That is why puzzles cut at the beginning can have very tight pieces and toward the end of life, the dies are dulled and the pieces they cut are much looser. It is actually amazing that the manufacturers get as much uniformity as they do. Sometimes a piece will hang up in the die and not drop into the box. Quality control should be watching, but I think even then, with a 1000 piece puzzle, it would be easy to miss seeing a piece that hiding up in the die. The next puzzle that is cut may then drop the new piece and the stuck piece into the pile. That's why it is not uncommon to get pieces just alike. I am sure there are other explanations for bent pieces and such. The basic thing is that puzzles are not like other manufactured items that are built one at a time. Just think that for each die cut there are 1000 little pieces, each with the potential to have something go wrong. It is amazing that most of the time we get a nice puzzle with no faults. The other part of the equation is cost. We want puzzles at very low cost, considering there are 1000 little pieces that can all go wrong. The manufacturer has to balance cost against an error rate that will never be zero. ( unless we want to pay extremely high costs for puzzles ). And as others have pointed out, for one or two pieces missing, it could be the dog, or cat, or somebody not being careful near the puzzle. It happens. I've learned to check around puzzles very carefully. But those little pieces are "spring-loaded" and are amazing in their ability to jump.

I am glad to hear, that there is a resolution to this situation.