Maybe a slight misunderstanding there, all the brushes of quality - W&N Series 7, DaVinci and Rosemary - that I bought in Hamburg and the UK had the plastic tubes to protect the bristles. It was here in Montreal that my wife purchased 5 W&N Series 7 brushes for me for C$115 (nothing above a size 1!!!!!) and the came without the plastic tubes and in a paper bag so the bristles were fan shaped by the time I got them. Luckily I was able to take them back and get a refund. When I asked the shop about the plastic tubes over the ends she just shrugged her shoulders.................
The large art supplies chain store Omer de Serres also removes the tubes for some unknown reason.
I think they do this, because this is how they've always displayed brushes tip up, without the tubes at art stores, but that old-school way of displaying brushes is risky, due to the situation you occured. I just don't think they comprehend that the tubes protect the brushes, but they need to get with the times. Actually all of the W&N Series 7 brushes I've seen come in a tube bigger than the brush, it's not just the tip there's a straw protector on, but the entire brush is concealed in a plastic tube, plus there's a straw tube tip protector. So they did something terribly wrong to sell Series 7 brushes with no tip protector, and out of the tube. The more really expensive Series 7 brushes come in a wooden box. W&N does their part, it's lack of common sense at the store level at that Canadian store that needs addressed for sure.