Not a Well-Built Clock

I had a pre-Thomson GE radio alarm clock, from ~1987, and it had lasted until a couple weeks ago (alarm gave out), so I thought that a Thomson alarm clock, this time an RCA branded one, would be just as well-built and long lasting. I was wrong. I have bought a unit, exchanged it when it did not automatically set the time as advertised and was making popping noises, and then the second unit not only does not automatically set the time, but is popping even louder than the first. I don't know what the electrical popping is, but it didn't stop after 5 days of being plugged in for the original unit. I called Thomson support, they said that the original unit was defective, due to the lack of automatic time set and the popping noises. So as the second one does the same, either a high proportion of the units coming out of the factory are coming out defective, or they simply aren't built to function correctly in the first place. The exterior of the second unit has some less defined ridges on some areas of the "brushed" plastic, while there is a shallow but noticeable gouge in the plastic display.