Just got a call back from my sales rep. He assured me that I got a comparable deal, even considering the promotional price. Guess I'll have to take his word on that.
Here are pictures of what the machine's shipping crate looked like when it left Delaware and what it looked like by the time it was delivered to my home. As you can see, the crate is completely gone and the original pallet has been replaced. The pallet jack would not even fit in the pallet slot. The driver could not move the machine. Needless to say, I rejected the shipment. Do not use Estes Express!