This may not be a popular point of view, but it is my (dealer) point of view. You are new to the traditional knife arena and have been listening to glowing reviews about GEC by those that are NOT new to the traditional knife arena. The problem with that is that those of us that have watched traditionals for the last 40 years have a little better grasp on just how bad a traditional knife can be. There was a time where gaps in the backsprings, blade rubs that did not affect function, etc. etc. were not issues. Folks may have dreamed of a perfect knife; but had no reason to expect it from our traditional makers. Admittedly knife prices have gone up, but so have grocery prices. So now those folks that realize GEC, to a large part, reset the expectations of the American made traditional knife; post glowing reviews when they receive a knife from a factory less than a mile from a defunct factory that delivered us quite the opposite just a couple years ago. You can keep a scratchpad by the computer and track what I am about to type, but I have found it to be true. There are those that think GEC does no wrong - There are those that find fault in near everything GEC does - And there are those that realize what / where / when GEC is. The first two small categories seem much larger than they are because of repetition.
Each consumer is perfectly welcome to have expectations and criteria when buying a knife. But when they anticipate that the dealers are going to cover return shipping because it "was not for you", I think that is where the contention arises. Don't take that as a jab, trying to address the exact question. If a dealer allowed what is essentially an absolutely free in hand viewing period for every knife that went out the door; they would have to increase the price respectively or take a significant hickey to their bottom line. It works in markets where the markup is 100%; but not so much in this markets margin. The factory is making a tool. Now, we have made it a prized tool - but they are still making a tool. Dead centered blades, hand honed grinds perfectly even, etc. are not realistic expectations given the equipment these guys are working with. It is amazing how often it occurs, but that does not mean it is a defect if perfection is not attained.
So, yes, you are being too picky. And you have the right to be picky. But the cost of that falls to you when it comes to return shipping. And, to be completely honest, if you go thru the process a few times returning knives because of issues similar to those you mentioned - you will probably eventually find yourself paying a significant restocking fee. Because shipping charges are not the only cost of sending out knives that just come right back. It costs peoples time, materials, and now even refund penalties from the processors.
So, please realize, until GEC spends a few million dollars to upgrade to state of the art equipment (which they are not going to do); they are made by human hands in a fashion that allows @30 families to make a modest living. I haven't seen a perfect knife yet, and don't really expect it. But each person has to make the decision if GEC is the right story for their pocket / display. Many knife companies over the last 2 decades have faded away because enough people made that call.