Tapping the Planet it skipps.....

Probably needs better vibration control.Try some Vibrapods or Audiopoints to help calm it down....

Don't tap it then...

It is surprising that the transport mechanism does not have the CD locked in place. Unless the laser assembly is moving...

Rega CD players are 2nd rate in everyway, if it wasn't a top loading cd player nobady would rememeber it.

This is normal for the Planet. Always has been. The feet do all of the work in isolating the player; so taping the top of the unit will cause it to skip. This in no way means something is wrong with your player.

Compare tapping the shelf it is on. The feet on the player will isolate it from this sort of "interference". My advice is to stop tapping it.