I have seen those QA checklists in all kinds of products I unbox, and I never paid attention to them other than thinking "that's nice." I do try to inspect the item carefully, though. I like the Shearwater brand, but it wouldn't occur to me to view a Shearwater product differently, or that a Shearwater QA checklist has some special meaning.
Exactly. Shiit always happens with electronic equipment even with the best manufacturers. What sets manufacturers apart is their reaction to issues with their respective products and how they take care of the users of these products. SW is certainly a top tier company but that doesn't give them carte blanche.