That was fast, you just feel that some retailers have respect for their customers. I've just read a thread elsewhere about a cracked three year old Mercian frame, be interesting to see how they compare. Bike frames don't normally break, but any can, I think most people realise this. I don't think the first couple of pages of ths thread were out of order, I certainly wouldn't have made a judgment until the story was complete. Being well prepared before you went back to the shop ended up being unnecessary this time, even so it did no harm.
To stop cable rub I prefer to cover the cable rather than the frame, there's a few options, I like these
Cablewrap
Koolstop Salmon pads and CLEAN rims will save you a fortune in the long run. Even so you have to consider rims as consumable. Rigida rims tend to be a bit cheaper and longer lasting than Mavics, at the cost of a bit of extra weight.