Well, if that's true, I've got to say I'm flabbergasted. I don't see any kind of warning anywhere on the packaging telling me to buy a screen protector, nor is there one bundled with it.

There is however something stuck to the screen that looks just like a screen protector, so I assumed it was one.

So if I actually use this device without any third party products, it will permanently ruin the screen after just a few weeks? Is that really a wise thing for a device that costs about $600 here in Europe?

This is the equivalent of selling an expensive car with things that LOOK just like tyres but are actually completely unroadworthy.

With non-touch devices this is all understandable, the screen doesn't come under much stress, but with a touch-based devices they shouldn't be shipping them without offering proper protection of the screen.