Instruct: Classify an Amazon review as either positive or negative.
Query: Locking ring broke after light use

I received this monopod as a gift. It is fairly lightweight, I found it easy to carry, and fairly easy to use. Unfortunately, I only got to use it a few times before the middle locking ring cracked. Even though it was broken, I was able to just leave that section collapsed, so I continued to use it a few more times, but now the bottom locking ring has a crack, too. The locking rings are some form of plastic, and there doesn't appear to be any way I can fix them. As a gift, I doubt I can find adequate proof of purchase to get warranty coverage, and I'd probably be obliged to pay postage anyway - On a monopod that costs $30, round-trip postage is probably a significant fraction of the cost of a new one; and unless the replacement rings are made of a different material, it'll just happen again anyway. With this experience, I can't say I'll buy a Manfrotto / Bogen monopod to replace it. I was surprised that it had a 4.5 rating.