Xbox Elite Series 2 - Stick Drift

So I got tired of the stick drift from my 2 year old controller I got with my Xbox One X, it fought a great battle until now where it's to the point where I can't even play without losing because of it. So I've bought a Series 2 controller (almost 10 months
now since the release date, so I don't expect the good old defective pre-order models Microsoft is known for) off the Microsoft Store website. I received it last Tuesday Sep 15th, fully charged it, plugged it in and updated, then hopped on Fortnite. I noticed
right off the bat something sketchy was going on, my right stick was drifting to the right and my left stick was pulling me downwards. Left the match and checked my in-game settings, I have my left stick deadzone set to 10% and right stick deadzone to 5%,
they both have slight stick drift which rarely occurs but it is noticeable. I thought I'll just use it for a week and see if it gets any better (just like brand new shoes when they feel tight), 8 days in and it hasn't gotten any worse but nothing has changed
for the better and it is still noticeable, again out of the box. Now, I expected better for a $180+ "premium" controller from a well-known company. I checked the website and I see that I am eligible for a $0 replacement for the warranty. Now the real question
here is, should I send it out and get the replacement though? It is a slight drift yet still noticeable, would a replacement be any better? What if the replacement still has the same issue? And my main worry here, is the replacement a brand new one or a refurbished
controller? I really don't wanna "throw away" a brand new controller in exchange for a refurbished one that has the same problem. Should I be expecting this issue with a 5% right stick deadzone, my friend bought a regular dualshock controller for his PS4 and
has not gotten any stick drift on the same deadzone for a couple of months. Mine started as soon as I plugged it in. •Fact to keep in mind: When I opened the box, there were some parts that were not in the place where they should've been. In example, a joystick
was under the controller and the metal piece to adjust the pressure was at the corner. Is it possible that it might've gotten mistreated when I got it shipped? Lastly, if I do ship it back, do I put it back in the box it came in and ship it back to them? Would
I get a new one? (The box looks cool on my shelf lol). PS: As sad as it sounds, it's the best controller I've had. TL;DR: Controller had stick drift out of the box, eligible for $0 replacement under warranty, newbie full of questions asking the wisely for
advices.

:)