saw this thread and want to add my 2 cents in for the band if they're taking data and also for Townsend also.
I've received my package about a week ago, i ordered the signed vinyl and cd and tshirt ... (i should of ordered more than one copy on vinyl for geek reasons)
i ordered the 1st day i think, there was no NMA shop option at that time at least for the US it seemed like i could only pre order through Townsend. I have a FB account but have only ever logged on to it twice, i dont use it and didnt even know people where ordering from there and that NMA was pushing a serious presence there, though i fully understand why.
The package came but like said above for the price the packaging was really poor (i do send lps over seas and understand packaging isnt cheap) and as a collector of sorts i will say the lps are in fine shape but the jacket is pretty beat up, inner sleeves bent and as a geeky collector type it kinda stinks ... the cd was stuck together but i thought that just added to the cds mystique to be honest ... my only thing it would have been nice if the image of the band in the cd had also been in the gatefold or insert of the vinyl too ... tshirt is bitchin' and was worn the whole weekend long lol ....
Not NMAs fault.
And I've order a lot from Townsend over the past, i dunno ever since they started distributing John Foxx's releases and never had something like this happen so i was surprised by the state of the package myself, and mine was like the pics above, not as server im thinking but a similar injury. Also my not really be the fault of Townsend (with the exception of no packaging material, a tshirt doesn't cut it) but our combined postal services.
I was then even further surprised by the absence of a DL code with the vinyl, if i hadnt order the cd also that would have really dissapointed me.