Like every other review the carton arrived very beat up. But, the desk itself was well packaged and there was no damage to the desk itself. 
For full disclosure I'm not very good at assembling DIY projects. If you fall into that category don't despair. You can do it. It just takes time and you have to dig down deep  and find your inner calm. In fact I had to take a section apart and reassemble it because I put it together in reverse order. So my advice is go slow and check and recheck your work if you aren't a DIY wiz. 
The instruction manual isn't easy to follow especially if you don't have 20/20 vision. But I took my time and checked and rechecked my progress. 
The end result is a desk that I could not be happier with. Not only is it functional but it just looks awesome. 
So, if you are considering owning this desk read every review and decide. I would definitely buy this desk again. The pros and cons the positive and negative reviews should be your guide.