I don't sweat the dings when I get free shipping. That order probably cost TOW at least $20 to ship.

Drumore is right though that using plastic wrap around a larger cardboard backing board is enough to protect modest orders.

But your order was so huge, it was probably more cost effective to mail it as one package - but so unusual in size they didn't have the proper packing materials.

In fact, I would guess your order may have been one of the largest they processed for this sale.

Free shipping is a curse in some ways, because it encourages cost cutting. I would rather pay honest First Class shipping rather than wait for free Media Mail. Media mail is the next best thing to leaving undelivered mail under a viaduct (which has happened here in Chicago). Sometimes I think the Post Office deliberately mauls and delays media mail just to scare you away from using it. My media mail only shows up on Friday, for example. So if I order a book on Wednesday, I might as well wait until the next Monday because they will show up at the same time.

Anytime someone uses media mail to ship things, I try to find the guy as close to me as possible. The farther it has to travel, the worse off it will be -- and the longer it takes to cartwheel to your address.