Veedee, I am sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your purchase. The design change is patterned after racking. Most heavy-duty racking, including pallet rack, utilize a similar tab and slot arrangement to connect the beams to the posts instead of rivets.
The new design utilizes three integrated formed tabs on each end of the beams that provide significantly more contact area with the posts when compared to rivets. The increased contact area provides better distribution of the force when a load is applied to the shelf. It also allows the beams to be held more firmly to the posts. As a result, the new tab and slot design will generally provide a stronger, more stable connection than rivets. Independent testing has shown this to be true. We would like to help. Please contact us at 773-475-3131 Mon - Fri CST 8:00 AM - 5 PM.