There was no apparent damage to the shipping box or anything else when I received the bike, but who knows? I suppose anything is possible. The bike has only been ridden twice since I got it, and has never been so much as dropped from a stand still, and has zero signs of any damage.

I spoke with an REI rep, and was told that since the bike was discontinued a while back, there are no more available, and no spare parts to be had. But they do have a few still in stores unsold, so they will swap out this fork for a good one from one of those for me. Sounds like problem solved, and I'm glad; I did not want to have to return this bike.