Amazon seems to have taken note of prior reviewers who complained about non-packaging for shipping. Mine came wrapped in plastic, with a large doubled piece of cardboard protecting the top. No damage or dings, and delivered right to the back gate.
Product is quite sturdy, including the drain. I bought it to replace a $15 wading pool purchased from Wal*Mart two years ago, when I only had my older dog. That cheapo pool is still functional for the older pooch, but I didn't think it would hold up to her and the active new puppy when they start rassling, or even the new puppy chasing her tail & tumbling against the walls. Within a few hours, this thing proved it's up to their challenge. It's also wonderful to have a high-quality drain so I can empty the pool & move it when needed (e.g., hurricane season, winter, new landscaping, etc.). I use Gardena connectors on my yard stuff, so it's just a quick snap-in when I want to drain the pool; otherwise, you'd have to attach the hose to the pool before filling it, to avoid making a huge, wet mess when draining.
The missing star is simply to reflect the price. It is not a cheapo pool, and you might be just as successful with two of the cheapo pools, one inside the other, to provide the wall strength for active animals -- at about one-tenth the cost of this pool. But I like the drain (yes, I could have installed a drain on the cheapo pool, but they are so flexible I doubt any drain would hold water for long). Plus, this pool is also awesome-looking in the landscape, which also had some value for me.
