I have a Hotrod Deluxe (I guess Deluxe/Deville are very similar, don't know what's different), got it on ebay. The footswitch that came with it was indeed broken. I picked up a new one at a local guitar shop for somewhere around $35.

Only had it for a week or so, so I can't say much about longevity. But it is a combination of metal and plastic. I'd think a drop of more than a couple feet onto a hard surface might damage it, if it landed wrong.

I'm not planning on gigging, so I think it'll be fine in my living room. If I was gonna gig, I'd look around for something more robust.

If you haven't seen this site, check it out http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/ I haven't seen anything specifically about the footswitch there, but a ton of good info.