I don't really have anything to add here, but I'm curious if I'm missing something. Is the fact that the bag was a 1MM gift relevant? Does delta really make such a distinction when deciding how to handle a damage incident?
I’m not certain as I’m not the OP, but my guess is it could be relevant when it comes to the warranty question. Some manufacturers have a non-transferable or a limited warranty. If that’s the case, the distributor (in this case Delta) sometimes has their own since they’re providing it. So the question becomes who has what and who do you go to for the best outcome...