[mgarblik]

I had a very similar situation with Rock Auto on a Spectra tank for a 1973 Firebird. Shipped the same way with the neck sticking out in the breeze. No double box. But in my case, the tank was just fine but the neck was bent to hell and back at about a 40 degree angle. Got the same song and dance about returning it. I ended up wrapping a 4' pipe with foam and sticking it in the neck and carefully bending it back straight. I was very careful and it came out perfect. I got lucky.
As far as your return, they usually have a way to send pictures. I would send them detailed ones of all the damage and let them know you will return it to them just as you received it unless they want to send you another outer box. Over the years I have been buying from Rock Auto, they have excepted all my returns eventually after things were explained in detail. Good luck.

With NAPA being bought out by Oreily's, Rock Auto may be the only game in town for me in the future.

[Sirrotica]

FWIW, if I had to ship parts I used multiple boxes taped together to cover the part. Overlapping the layers of carboard where they're spliced together and taped makes the box stronger than a single layer box.

Since long boxes used to ship parts are few and far between I started making my own from partial smaller boxes for economy, that ended hunting through store bins for the right size. I never had anyone get in touch with me that said the container didn't hold up ..........YMMV