My 50L showed up with similar damage as Redstag's. The box was pretty bashed up and had one hole in it. I was so excited to unbox it, that I didn't even think to take pictures. Anyway, a few small dents caused by, I assume, the malt pipe and slightly wonky lid. The copper top and thermocollar were undamaged. Everything was usable, and I was excited to get brewing, so I didn't bother with a damage claim.
I agree that the packaging could be beefed up a bit. I assume that the packaging is adequate for shipping within Europe, but the rigors of transoceanic shipping overwhelm the current packaging. (I wonder how the guys in Australia are receiving theirs?)
It seems that the BM has only recently gained popularity in the US. Speidel may not have anticipated selling so many units outside of Europe and thusly only designed their packaging for the protection required for shipping within continental Europe. I don't doubt that these packaging issues will become an issue for NA buyers, regardless of how good Speidel's customer service is.
I'm glad that Thorsten has been such a big help to those of us in NA.
Btw, anyone notice that MoreBeer4u.com is returning a 404 error? I hope that is just temporary.