I haven’t had this happen to mine yet, but wanted to be proactive about it.
I was told, “It was a sporadic few that had this issue due to the finishing paint. Not all augers were affected by this. If you do however encounter this please let us know.”
Mine does look to be flat black though and not high gloss. I’ve only used it in temps down to about 15F. I guess I just need to get out there when it’s real cold and see if it happens…?? Seems like they should be able to tell off my serial number though and I shouldn’t have to wait for it to ice up.
I bought mine mid Dec. It’s been an awesome auger though so far!