wow that's horrendous. Since you don't absolutely need to put this part on right away, I'd say it would be worth your while to RMA and get a better unit. AM.com will handle it well, for sure
eh, i would just throw it on and run as long as the internal is fine. ive never been one for bling though. i had a chrome maf to tb tube on mine and pulled that crap right off and put the stocker back on.
Would you buy a "brand new" car with scratches or bubbles all over the paint, and keep it, without asking for a new one, just because that doesn't have impact on its performance? Yea.. right.
Aside from how assinine throwing a used part with obvious defects on a car would be, there's no arguing with the simple fact here: A customer paid for a brand new one, and got a used one. One would think the fact that it clearly is damaged on the outside would cause one to further question the quality of craftsmanship on the inside.
In any case, MT as I expected handled it gracefully, offering to exchange it and pay for the shipping on the old one back to them. That's why I love those guys.