I'd say hope for the best. I guess these bricked / bad 9900's are just the minority. There isn't a "my 9900 is flawless since purchase threads / posts" or we'd always here about the majority of good ones . Just the unfortunate ones we hear about. I have had a niggle or two with my 9900 since its release. Nothing a quick reboot doesn't solve. I'm on the original os and haven't any complaints.
Just get on with life and use the phone. It appears that only a tiny minority of users have problems, and the resolution is simple - warranty. With that, my advice is to stick to your plan and source the phone through official channels, don't be tempted by the apparent savings on ebay or other resellers which can't provide full warranty.
