No it is not. He did not clean it as I had it cleaned my a very local man about a week before the problem. He tried to blame it on that---but it sewed just fine for several days before. This place is over an hour away. He has a reputation for being difficult but other than sending it to the factory--he is the only dealer unless I want to drive 3 hours.
Perhaps the company has a policy of things like this. I am really trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and have been more than patient.