I've been using an Akto since 2008.
No damage other than a bit of abrasion damage to the groundsheet, taped over with either Gear Aid or Tenacious tape (much the same).
The failed Nallo outer sounds like UV damage, which will be worse/quicker if you use the tent as a base camp than it will if you move on daily, with the tent packed away whilst the sun is at its most intense.
Going saggy is a normal problem with elastics. I've had no problem with my tent that I've noticed, but have it with most head torches after a few years.
Poles should be assembled section by section by hand, rather than letting the elastic snap the sections together, which Hilleberg warn against on their instruction videos. I've a vague memory of Hilleberg having a bit of a rush of tent pole problems a number of years back, of the type that would be a QC problem at the DAC factory.
Small pinpricks is something I've not come across. Birds sounds unlikely - their claws aren't all that sharp, there's little weight behind them, and they would mostly land on the pole rather than the flat fabric. Thistles whilst the outer is laid on the grass drying? A nearby farmer spraying some noxious pesticide/fertiliser, which reacts with UV? Mosquitos etc will sometimes bite through clothes, and could have been confused.