Thanks for all the suggestions. I've got several options
for solving my problem now.

This wasn't a rant about how horrible Panasonic is.
There's a reason why I have two of their cordless
drills, three chargers and six battery packs. The
drill is light, smaller in size than say a Dewalt, has
a small comfortable grip and delivers more than
adequate torque and pretty good variable speed
control.

And I suspect that tool manufacturers don't go out
of their way to screw with customers - so the security
torx screws are probably used for another reason
- customers screwing with things they shouldn't -
and filing a law suit when something goes wrong.

As to the service of this particular Service Center
I think this situation was The Perfect Storm kind of
thing. The "holiday season" ALWAYS seems to make
everything a bit crazy. Seems EVERYONE has some
electronic device or small appliance that they absolutely,
have to have working in order to do some "holiday season"
driven thing done - BEFORE Christmas. Throw in The Flu
and nothing works right or on time.

And backing up a bit - I had had a problem with the
110 VAC circuit my lathe - and two of these chargers
were on. That traced back to a faulty installation of
a 220 V circuit breaker - done by - wait for it - a licensed
electrician - and because I'd pulled a permit to have
the electrical work done - inspected by a county electrical
inspector. So that may be why these Panasonic chargers
went PHHHHHHT! Keep your fingers crossed for me - and
maybe new fuses will make them all better.

Now I think I'll go out to the shop and make a wood offering
the The Cabal. Oh what have I done? Ignore the previous
sentence. Forget it - please. I MEANT to say "Make a
sacrifice to the Wood Working Diety." Honest - that's what
I meant to say.

I'm getting a vague sense of foreboding. Damn.


Or - THEY may actually be out to get me? Now all I need
to do is figure out which THEY is conspiring against me.
God I hope is not The Cabal. Hmmm - forget I said that