Are you guys polishing by hand or using a machine like an random-oribtal buffer? I'd likely go by hand as I'd be scared to burn through the paint w/ a machine.
The chest on mine looks that way too. It disappears of you look at it at a different angle and it doesn't feel like there's any sort of crack in the paint/surface.
I have those marks on mine, but you can only see them at certain angles; at other angles they aren't there. I didn't realize this was an actual problem until now...doh :(
I have the Factory X classic Iron Man helmet and don't think it's that bad...no there aren't leneses...no it doesn't light up...but it's not a bad representation. I display it without the base though.
The Mark 03 helmet here is awful looking IMHO. I had it and the Mark 02 on pre-order but...