I have had two separate loudspeaker purchases arrive with the box in near pristine condition and yet the heavy driver magnet structure snapped off and rolled around in the cabinet destroying anything inside not initially broken. The best I can surmise is that the boxes were dropped in such a way as to land ‘flat’ on a side from a sufficient distance that the ‘sudden stop at the end’ was more than the welds holding the magnet structure to the loudspeaker’s metal frame could bear.

If a shipper wished to do so, they can attach what is basically a ‘warning: g-force rating exceeded’ device to the box. If the devices arrives showing white or clear, no excessive g-forces occurred during shipment. If the device arrives showing a red indicator, that box was certainly dropped, whether the box looks to be in good shape or not.

When buying new from a manufacturer or authorized seller, usually it’s up to the shipper to seek recompense and supply a replacement product, but do check a seller’s policies.

In my case, both purchases that were damaged were from private sellers. Very fortunately I had insisted, and they followed through, on taking pictures of the item just before and at each step during the packing process. Whether UPS or Fedex, both were not going to pay saying that “either the seller shipped a broken item to you and is trying to get money they don’t deserve, or they didn’t pack the item properly.” The images showing the item in good shape and being packed properly showed the seller was not at fault. The images I took of the damage ‘after shipping’ showed the condition of the delivered item. Only then did UPS or Fedex reluctantly pay.

My advice in a private sale: the person doing the shipping should take way too many pictures of all sides, top and bottom, and ‘the guts’ if one can see inside easily, of the item, plus all the packing, box-in-box and Styrofoam or other filler materials, before shipping!

You have been warned. Just do it!