Yes most boxes have at least some damage when they arrive. I suppose you would just have to tape them up.
The damage rate seems to be high enough that if you return a machine for a tube change or warranty repair adding two more trips you would be lucky not to get damage in transit. It doesn’t seem practical for tube swaps as the risk is too high.
Thanks for the creative suggestions!
I had suggested something similar in my note to @dan, but it appears that we are not able to break down the box and then re-assemble it before sending a Glowforge in for warranty repair or tube replacement.
I’m worried about this as well. Based on my time spent reading through forum posts, it appears that a large percentage of shipments arrive with significant damage to the box. This could simply be a case of confirmation bias. Hard to tell without access to the quantitative data that only Glowforge has.
Box and accompanying foam are $249.
Is that as in it’s physically impossible, or it would void the warranty ?
This is what I am trying to determine. Some people on the forums have said that we need to keep the box intact. Others have suggested that we break it down and tape it back up again if we need warranty service.
I would like to know if I need to find space for massive boxes (Glowforge + filter) or just some space for big sheets of cardboard.
The foam structure that holds the GF in place does not break down and does not nest together well. Only going to save a little space by breaking the box down if it can be done easily. My box is different than the ones being shipped now.
Just to be annoying, are we OK to ship back if we only have the pre-improvement style box? (Although I hope never to find out)
I plan to use it for the PRU. I’m sure it will be fine, it got here okay with minimal damage.
But it got there via FedEx, rather than UPS. Are you shipping it back via FedEx or UPS? (I’m hoping UPS; Glowforge needs to experience the UPS treatment firsthand.)
Yeah I know, different carrier. It’s up to them though, so I’ll ship it using whomever they tell me to. 
edit: And you know I’m kind of upset at the idea of it being autopsied in any way. It’s done just fine, it needs to go on to a looooong and happy second life in the hands of a loving owner. (Yes, I tend to anthropomorphize a bit.)
That price is not bad. I work in the same industry as Flex. I just purchased packaging for a medical unit that’s half the size and weight of the Glowforge and that set cost us $100. We crushed the crap out of it during destructive testing. Trust me you need the right packaging. Keep the box of you can
I don’t understand, autopsied? Obviously I missed something. Not surprising, my unread just broke 1,000 - but I keep the new at none.
Oh, I figured they probably take apart the early PRUs to see what worked and what didn’t. Don’t know where I got that idea… maybe they just do it on the ones that have problems. (Probably fretting for nothing.) 
Well, I guess that make sense. The more data the better.
noooooooo…I don’t want them to! 
(Now I’m fretting again.)
Ah, but not if I’ve anthropomorphized it, essentially turning the Glowie into a human.
(I considered necropsy, but decided in favor of consistency.) 
They’re going to need a bigger Glowforge!
Not sure. Since her Pre-Release unit is fully functional at this point, wouldn’t it just be murder?
My thoughts exactly. I volunteer to start a sanctuary for 
pru units where they can live out their life as productive lasers. 
