Short answer first, then the reasoning. The pattern that distinguishes a bad batch from an exit is behaviour rather than product. A bad batch comes with communication, a reshipment offer and a batch number. An exit comes with slower replies, pressure toward less reversible payment methods, sudden discounting, and the same reassurance repeated without any new information. The product tells you less than the correspondence does.

Dr.SleepRoch said:

The pattern that distinguishes a bad batch from an exit is behaviour rather than product.

Right, and one flattering data point from a group buy is not consistency. Consistency means separate batches, separately commissioned, over months.

JenPlateau said:

The list price and the price I actually pay differ by a factor of six depending on which of four routes I use, and none of that is transparent from…

Agreed, with a caveat about community reputation: it is a lagging indicator. Reports arrive weeks after orders, so a supplier can look excellent for a month after quality has already changed.

From the other side of the consultation, briefly.

My insurance denied my PA related to cost and coverage. Has anyone successfully appealed? I'm considering going compounded instead.