In the words of Jerry Springer, and now for my final thoughts (whine -- forgive me).
Tonight I replaced the taillight. Three lamps sent to the dealer, each of which bore significant shelf and/or shipping wear. All were in Ford boxes, packed inside of a plastic bag, and supported by brown paper packaging. Each of them looked like they were washed regularly with a Mr. Clean sponge. Not the dealer's fault. Dealer thought each looked bad and tried its best to get me a good one.
Whatever Ford parts does from the moment they arrive on racks to the point they are delivered to dealers is the problem. They should be wrapped in either a soft material or have protective plastic on them a'la new appliance glass/handles. The only way to get a "perfect" taillight is on your vehicle (don't ever break it!) or, as time goes on, if more of these trucks are wrecked, you might get lucky at salvage yards. Because the perfect parts seemingly only exist in the Rouge Plant; once they leave there, or are packaged to be shipped elsewhere, they look like they were removed from well-used vehicles.
Compare my old taillight, after two years, with minimal marring (passes the bright light swirl mark test; I always washed the truck with a microfiber mitt):
To the first replacement:
The second:
To the third (which, having given up, I installed):
The marks were/are consistent over each taillight, even though I highlighted only parts above.
I suppose I'd be less disappointed if the truck was a little older, if I didn't take care of it like I did, etc. And at $1,200-$2,000 for a part depending on from whom you get it, it's a lot to pay for something much less than pristine. But, it is what it is. Maybe I will write Ford to humbly suggest it do a better job protecting and preparing parts like these for shipping. On the other hand, in ten years, my truck will be crushed, melted, and turned into something else, so life goes on.
P.S. I had to transfer the BSR sensor from the old to the new. Easy -- three Torx screws and plug and play. Just be sure to properly route/tuck the tires in their holders.