Great binocular, except why hide the tripod unusability? - Nikon Action Extreme 12x50mm Waterproof Porro Prism Binoculars

Everything about this equipment is top-notch, optics, ergonomics, water and fog proofing. Why, then, doesn't Nikon warn the buyer NOT to attempt removal of the typical tripod socket cover? I assumed at 12x that these must be tripod mountable and, make a long story short, messed up the little cap w/ logo. Nikon informed me that they would not cover that, being my fault (no, it was theirs), and they would send me a decal (!) to hide the scratches I put there with some vice grips that were necessary to get the thing to budge. Incidentally, another company having sold me a similarly priced item, gladly rushed me to tripod socket cover at no charge. That one somebody had, I think, superglued the thing down. I guess one can put this one to good ole Corporate Greed!