Grant, this is all good advice, but I hope you'll let me continue to run QB on this.
It was definitely an empty box sent to him, weight is the same on the receipt as reality. Steve loaded it with a PVC pipe that jumped the weight up.
I'm getting this handled myself, through a personal offer or legal process today. There will not be a long negotiation process here. A few nice guys have been hosed badly the last couple months and I'm getting them all straight right away.
I made the recommendation to Grant on Steve's ability to do a simple repair so I'm assuming the responsibility to get his cue back, to the best of my ability.
Please, future keyboard attorneys, do not derail this, Grant and several others will be quite satisfied in short order.