I opened the damaged and torn box my fire pit arrived in and red soot poured out all over my patio.  The contents of the box were coated in the soot.  The lava rocks had been packed in a thin torn plastic bag inside a thin ripped cardboard box.  They were strewn everywhere.  It took about 45 min to clean up the mess before I could start assembly.  Although I liked the fire pit it was way too big for my space.  In my opinion it is too tall to put in front of a couch or chair.  It would be better suited for standing around or possibly sitting on high stools.  I decided to return it and disassembled and repacked every thing.  .  I put the lava rocks back exactly as I found them!  Other reviewers have written about the loose rocks.  It is such a simple fix and a huge annoyance for the buyer.  Clearly the seller is not paying attention to reviews.