In March 2009 I bought an 870 Tactical as a birthday gift to myself. I bought it online but don't even remember where from now. When it came in the top of the receiver was slanted several degrees and the mounting holes were over to one side. It was so obviously fucked up it shouldn't have made it out Remington's door. I called them that day and they sent me a return label. The guy I talked to said I wasn't the first person with the problem.
The next day I managed to injure myself before I mailed the gun off. Then I got sick and other random shit happened and the gun found itself put away and forgotten about. Fast forward almost a decade and someone mentioned having one which reminded me that I had one sitting unfired all this time. I called Remington to see if they would do anything with it and they still had an open warranty ticket from my original call. The lady said the warranty was supposed to be one year though and she couldn't tell me what they would do until I returned it. They don't do their own warranty work and had me send it to Paducah Shooters Supply on their dime. I talked to Paducah today, and the gun is wearing a new receiver and is on its way back to me. Even with the gun clearly being defective from the factory I didn't have great expectations so I have to give Remington props for how they handled it.
For reasons beyond me the XS shotrail was missing from the box when I dug the gun out. They are $120 so I'm thinking about using a standard rail and a cheap red dot instead.
I paid for the gun so long ago and it's been out of sight and mind for so long that I'm essentially getting a free 870. It's also almost my birthday again so I guess I should thank my past self for planning ahead.