Yikes! Is the guitar okay?! Kinda reminds me...
When I purchased my very rare 1970 M85-II bass, I fully expected it to come packed like a tank because the UPS Store themselves had packed it (
professionally, of course, and
for a premium, of course)... the same folks who entered the fully insured amount into the computer, so they knew exactly how valuable it was. Unfortunately, all they did was wrap one layer of bubble wrap around the hardshell case and then fold a piece of single-corrugated cardboard around it, which (completely flat and unfolded) was only about 4" longer than the case itself... so it was kind of like when you go to roll a burrito but accidentally overfill it, so neither end closes. Luckily, somehow it arrived safely! Maybe the carriers took pity on me, seeing how terribly incompetently the UPS Store had packed it?
Fact remains though, there is no chance in heck if a customer had packed a guitar like that and it was damaged in transit, that UPS would have done anything but laugh at an attempted insurance claim. I think their specifications for a properly packed guitar is something like 3" of
qualified packing materials all the way around, as well as a fully stable, new shipping box. Needless to say, I'll never be asking UPS employees to pack a valuable instrument for me in the future... something that I had always thought was a good idea prior, since they're professionals, right?