Hi everyone.
Happy new year. My eDGe is back minus the ugly line on the e-ink screen!
To put an end to this story (I hope), here's the last installment. I got my eDGe back today. Entourage sent it by Fedex. Similar to Alefor's experience, I got it two-and-a half weeks after posting it back to RMA (posted via Parcelforce on 14 Dec, received at the RMA facility on 17 Dec, delivered back to me on 31 Dec).
I did not get a new unit. I got the same unit back, repaired, albeit with tool marks on the cover (near both ends of the hinge on the e-ink side; so I know it was repaired--I'm not nitpicking, I just noticed the marks while I was reattaching the gelaskin, which covered them anyway.).
Like Alefor, I did not get an official heads up from Entourage that a parcel will be delivered (I also did not receive any details about the repair). The Fedex people just turned up at my door; good thing I was home. Although I was kinda hoping it will be delivered today because Monday (3 Jan) is a bank holiday and 4 January is the date when the new UK VAT law takes effect. Entourage emailed me before Christmas that they were trying their best to meet my request that the eDGe would be returned before 4 Jan. They did it! and I'm spared from finding out the effect of the new VAT law. For the record, I did not pay any charges this time (VAT, duties, shipping or handling).
A short reflection on my first ever experience with returning a defective product: Putting aside the mental anguish (felt like it at that time

) at parting with a month's food budget to pay for shipping the eDGe back to the US, on the whole,
my experience was positive. The Entourage people responded to my queries within a reasonable period of time and had been very upfront with me about what they could and could not do for me--something that I really appreciated. I also appreciate the RMA people because I got a sense of being attended to personally in the way that they wrote their emails as opposed to being sent a message from a template. I am also cognizant of the fact that it's Christmas and people were working over the holidays. Though I hope I will never have to send the eDGe back for repair ever, my experience this time makes the prospect entirely not daunting. I just hope they will set up a repair center right here in UK

.