I have 3 different RAM mounts on my boat and none have the peeling you show here. I also didn't pay $39 for any of mine. You might have just experienced the wonder of eBay that is buyer beware of prices much less than normal. The large ball mounts are typically close to $100. There are some good deals to be had but also a bunch of junk out there. There are tons of knock-offs of popular items.The moral of your story will come when you contact the seller about the item and how they deal with it.
Good luck with it.