With Tinky (https://www.cloudyni...l= tinky tim53), I had the opposite problem with UPS. The seller packed the fully-assembled scope, with tabletop stand, in a single thin-walled cardboard box and filled the space around the scope with styrofoam peanuts. It was taped reasonably well, but still was more of a cardboard "bag" than a box when it arrived. I heard the UPS truck coming up the hill, so I was out at the end of the driveway to meet him when he stopped. He actually warned me of the packing, and waited while I opened the box in front of him before driving away. Amazingly, there was no damage.
[edit: It's been a long time since this shipped, and I had forgotten about the foam-filled bags that were in the box around the scope. So it wasn't as bad as I thought I had remembered it.
In other news, if you really want to know how best to pack a scope for shipping, buy something from Chip sometime. I bought his 8" Schmidt camera a while back. It was by far and away the best packed item I've ever seen. Ever!]
-Tim.
Tim53 - that is an amazing thread on how you restored Tinky. I plan to read it more closely. And I wish that my scope arrived without issue - this is a pain, but its not the worse I've experienced and its not as if I am without scope - I've got others to view through until this one comes online.