Just opened Performance Bike box with new computer and Continental Grand Prix 4-Season Gatorskin Tires. Each tire box had a slice across the top from side to side. The incision looks as though it was made with a box cutter. The VDO computer box was perfect......not sliced. Am I missing something?? Tires are new and look untouched so what gives? I took advantage of the 20% coupon posted on this site. Any ideas? Not that the boxes matter but I thought it seemed strange.

Possibly unused returned merchandise from a previous customer.

It could also be that the performance guy who opened the box of tires from Continental cut too deep. The tires aren't loose like when you get them. There are tires packed in tight to a box. It would be very easy to cut that box open and damage the inside contents.

I remember nipping a few cake mix boxes now and then when opening cases with a box knife at the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company during my high school days, and yes I can remember back that far (albiet vaguely).

And half the time we slashed open boxes no matter how many warnings were on them not to. Probably a knife wielding bored night shift worker opening the boxes. Just ran it down the tape line and right into the tire boxes. If the rubber is untouched and the protective wax or whatever on the rubber is still in place (meaning no use whatsoever) I wouldn't worry about it so much. If they did slice the rubber I'd be PO'ed that they shipped them.

On the other hand . . .

Packaging these days for shipping is getting tougher and tougher.

Look at potato chips. It takes power tools and the Jaws Of Life to get the bag open.

Large shipments are generally trussed up like a Christmas Goose. And then you have the the warehouse people working min. wage to unpack the stuff, armed with a box knife and maybe a pair of gloves. They ain't no rocket surgeons. Packages are going to get whacked.

Contents are fine? That's what you're buying . . . But yes, I'm inclined to pass up damnaged packages in a retail shop in favor of a package that's not been crunched or sliced.

Just opened Performance Bike box with new computer and Continental Grand Prix 4-Season Gatorskin Tires. Each tire box had a slice across the top from side to side. The incision looks as though it was made with a box cutter. The VDO computer box was perfect......not sliced. Am I missing something?? Tires are new and look untouched so what gives? I took advantage of the 20% coupon posted on this site. Any ideas? Not that the boxes matter but I thought it seemed strange.


Not so strange at all. I work in a shop and we get new tires every once in a while that come pre-sliced for us from the manufacturer/distributor. Many times we won't find the problem until we mount them or a custie brings them back. I would put strong money on the fact that the tires came to performance pre-sliced.

Sometimes shipping boxes that contain a large quantity of the
same item are opened around all four corners at the top with a box cutter,
just like in a grocery store. The idiots that do this could care less. I bet
it happened at the middle man location and not the factory.