Evorc, that is just not true. Tons of people, me included, have gotten phones with no issues. The fact is that if you start with loose buttons or rattling, those things get WORSE with use, so why in the world would you want to start with one with these issues? As far as the scratch, that IS strictly cosmetic and will never affect how the phone works, so that is a personal choice. Some people can look past it, some cannot. This is NOT a cheap phone, and Apple sells how well made and beautiful teir phones are. So, they need to step up.
OP, if you aren't near enough to an Apple store, you are out of luck, as the carriers don't care enough to help, unfortunately.