Yes, the OP issue is the apparent disconnect at the company and the lack of communication.

A lesson for all companies here, the customer thinks of your business as a single entity, not as a bunch of people with compartmentalized tasks that are too busy to do anything but their own tasks and have no understanding of the entire process. That is what causes the shipping area to send out an email saying the unit is coming back, and the repair department to send out another (later) email explaining the results. Sure we all know that the company isn't one person, but we also know that a good company doesn't run like the government.