Did the British Empire deserve to lose the American Colonies?

The is a normative question without a correct answer, which can make it difficult to fully answer.
Things to look for when making an argument stating that the British did deserve to lose the colonies are instances of overreactions to colonist unrest. When the colonists became unhappy with British governmental action, the British could have chosen ways to obtain their objectives without continuing to pressure the colonists. However, the British worked to punish the colonists rather than seeking to work with them. When the colonists complained about the Sugar Act, more taxes followed. When they acted out against the Stamp Act, the British passed the Intolerable Acts and began placing more of the colonies under military rule. Every escalation by the British angered the colonists and strengthened the cause of independence.
From the opposite side, the colonists created headaches for the British. Colonists's movement across the Appalachian Mountains against British orders led to tensions with the French that culminated in the French and Indian Wars. Continual conflicts with Native Americans, usually prompted by the colonists, required more military spending than Britain desired. Additionally, the colonial representatives to the crown often failed to fully convey the complaints of the colonists to the King, which made it difficult to remedy the issues.
In summary, neither the British nor the colonists acted in ways conducive to long-term unity.