Yes, the packaging for this set is very, very bad. Chances are when you take the DVD's out you'll end up with scratches on a lot of them, and some might even be unplayable. However, factor in the cost of the set and how much it will be to get six or seven disks resurfaced, and this is still a great deal.
It's a hassle, sure. But after resurfacing the disks from my set that didn't want to play, I still didn't mind because buying all the individual seasons would've been much more expensive.