Kawai Novus NV-5S

I ordered my Kawai Novus NV5S and after almost a month of waiting it was finally here. At first I was very impressed with the quality of the instrument that seemed of high standards. Sadly, after a couple of hours of playing, I started noticing a very annoying thumbing/creaking noise when releasing the sustain pedal. The noise was so loud that actually killed all enjoyment of playing. After further investigation, I noticed that it was coming inside the upper left part of the instrument (above the lower octaves). It didn't appear to be the result of the pedal contact with the instrument (a common problem I've been reading in other reviews). In hope of a resolution, I immediately contacted Thomann and sent them multiple videos in order to help them figure out the problem. It wasn’t until after 10 days of waiting that I received their final reply. To my surprise, both Thomann and Kawai technical teams had concluded that the noise is normal (?!) They further suggested that perhaps I could try lubricating the wood (???) at the point where it touches the pedal in order to minimize the friction (????) This of course came to my huge disappointment. Not even they didn’t consider my feedback concerning the noise source, but they even suggested I try correcting the problem myself, potentially creating more damage by using lubricants in general. We are talking of multiple thousands of euros state-of-the-art brand new instrument, not a cheap toy. I would sincerely expect a more responsible level of support, to say the least. Unfortunately, I had to return the instrument for a full refund.