Indeed, the unit he received was from the older batch, the screws used to fit pretty tight.
In the meantime, we made some improvements to the manufacturing process so the screws now have a slightly looser fit and are even better aligned for easier opening and closing. This should mitigate some of the problems.

However, I would like to emphasize that the most important job of the backup and screws is to protect the seed inside the unit, so it made a pretty good job, even if a bit hard to remove. After a house fire or collapse, I would be most interested in backup survival, even if I would need a hammer or power tools to open it.

Cheers!