I think the most disappointing to me was ordering the Pat Metheny Orchestrion 2-LP set from Amazon.CA, as they were the only Amazon that stocked it. The cover wasn't destroyed, but it did get a little chewed up on the sides due to their poor packaging. It was, literally, wedged sideways into a long box. It's a shame since it was a limited release, and the LP cover had a different photo than the CD. Amazon could not offer a replacement since they had no more, and they had none on order to replace their own stock since it was a limited run. I think they refunded me a percentage of the price, which was a nice gesture. The records themselves are flawless--flat, dead quiet pressing, very nice. It's just a shame I couldn't have the complete product the same way.It occurs to me they are playing the numbers. Doesn't make sense to spend a bunch of money on super packing everything if the amount of stuff that is actually damaged to the point of return/refund is a tiny fraction of the total.
That was earlier in their stocking and selling of LPs, and back then it was blindingly obvious they had no clue as to how they should pack records. Their current system seems to be the best--it seem as though they automatically box the LPs into LP shippers when they arrive in their stock, then they can either ship individuals out without needing any further packing, or there are two or more on an order, they just toss those prepackaged LPs into a larger box. It is rare I receive records these days from Amazon (US) that are damaged. I quit ordering from the EU since as long as DHL gets their hands on it, the package will suffer either through physical mishandling or take literally weeks to get here.