This is something they should sell you a cost.How can ARC stay in business if sell at cost?
Seems like they are making a profit off the back of a defect.It appears to me Veerapaneni had a cap failure and not all white caps are defective. Nothing is perfect. Since his amps are out of warranty, he has to pay for the repair.
I checked my Ref250 and it has a combination of white and gold caps. There are many reasons companies change parts and not only for SQ.