don't rule out shipping damage because the packing materials are intact. I've had frames damaged by UPS and the boxes / packing materials looked fine.
I'd bet that is not how the fork left the builders shop - and if he knew what it looked like now he would run to your house to get it back.
Why go showing it around a local bike shop? You aren't happy, that is enough - send it back to the builder and he will replace it asap. He'll be glad to do it asap and he could probably tell you what happened to it. The builder won't want that fork floating around bike shops and forums representing his work.
Again, doubtful it left the shop like that.
Last edited by GAAP; 08-27-09 at 06:12 AM.