Just as likely as shorting any vga cable, right?

True, of course you're right. Only if there is another box between the
short and the dead item, the blame (by the unknowing) may lie with the
box, not the short. It seems the general public assume that each box
will be a protective buffer for the item behind it. I dont like the
idea of being the person who has to argue it. If it were my own
hardware for use in my house I'd not even have questioned it!