Startone SCL- 65 Bb- Clarinet

Lets get this straight. This is a budget clarinet. Dont expect the same as for one that is 5 times the price or more. For the price its excellent! I got this for a student of mine. It comes with reeds and a swab and grease, so he could get playing on it straight away. The case is sturdy and can be worn like a backpack, which is great for young students.
The mechanisms work very well, the pads close completely for the low notes to come out nicely. I could not find anything like this instrument for the same price /quality in the city or even online. I called the guys at Thomann to describe and explain a few things about it and they were very clear and helpful, also in giving their opinion on a suitable instrument for a beginner. When the Clarinet arrived, everything they said matched up with the item. I am very pleased I got this for the student and parent and will buy one for my kids if they want to play clarinet instead of sax like their dad!
The only hitch I noticed at this time is that the thumb-rest has only got cork on it and the poor little boy's thumb is sore. I recommend either taping some cotton wool over it or doing it properly by replacing the cork with some 4mm felt.

I did not have much expectations of this instrument, as it costs less than the price of a good mouthpiece, however, I would expect at the very least to play somewhat consistently and actually just play. Unfortunately, at least in my case, the instrument came with a defect on the A key, after I played it a couple of times over the course of a quarter. I raised a request with Thomann's service, it was sent for service, it came back and was playing just fine, but after a while, it exhibited the same issue again (intermittently playing as if you always press the register key). Also, I reported that the instrument is unbelievably flat on low E & F (30+ cents) and the response I got from service was that only instruments with low F correction key can be in tune in those notes, while even a basic student instrument like Buffet E11 can be off no more than 10-15 cents (in worst case).
I am only using the instrument for a marching band, it is being used rarely and it is being taken good care of. However, since it is essentially unplayable, it will most likely end up as decorative object in my shelf. I am tempted to give it to a local technician to have a look and let me know if it can be fixed, but I am a bit unwilling paying service fees for an instrument that just might be defective. Since the feedback other musicians provided is mostly positive, it just might be that the instrument I got is defective and sending it back to Thomann for service did not help in this case. Lesson learnt and I would suggest to musicians considering this instrument if they can afford to spend some more money, consider buying an instrument of an established brand that it will play somewhat consistently and have a basic tone quality, as this one clearly does not have these qualities.