do I need to downgrade to .75 before returning the phone for replacement?

a response isn't necessary, but dammit I just felt like it...

mad? no. more like sad... I am sad that common sense just isn't as common as the term implies. And that you felt it necessary to respond with a "this is my last post, but I'm going to egg you on... yet, I'm going to make it seem that if you do respond then you're admitting that I'm right."

that sh*t doesn't work in the real world, and won't work on here (at least for me).

Yeah, I responded. and guess what? you'll get the email notification and feel compelled to respond. But guess what else? I'll have already cancelled the auto-sub to this thread (why I let it ride this long I haven't a clue) so I won't know, or care for that matter, that you'll have responded yet again.

I just returned my phone due to dust 4 days ago, I actually told them I had the leaked os in it and still got a brand new phone, it is kind of the same principal as putting a beta of windows 7 in your computer, that is not causing your hardware to get damaged so if the computer itself is under warranty and something that has nothing to do with the system has a problem why would they care, plus verizon floor reps aren't paid to give a crap about that stuff. As for the sim card, it really is pointless to keep it, the card itself is useless anyway unless you plan on traveling frequently outside the US, it is made for global and serves no purpose on the normal cdma in america.