Well, the manufacturer did get back to me today, so it looks like their CS side works weekends!
Good thing. He had a few suggestions just to make sure it wasn't my laptop charge that wasn't good enough, but I'm afraid that since the USB-to-wall adapter isn't charging it enough and the light is turning green that it's just an unhappy battery, sadly. I had hoped there might be some type of "firmware reset" that could be done to make it try to recalibrate the battery and try on my USB-to-wall charger.
I didn't notice anything plasticy, and since the unit did get *very* hot in my hands during the two hits, I think the heat generated was either shielded from the vapor path well enough or just didn't have enough time. The silicone ring around the top of the heating chamber appeared from photographs to be the new ring in comparison to the old one people showed pictures of, so I think the unit I got had the improvements.
I'm not letting it disappoint me, and if the manufacturer makes good on a replacement that works I'll use it until I save enough or spend enough time on here to develop VAS regardless of money.
I've played with my friend's MFLB, but he tosses the AVB and I'm thinking to get the right medication balance from my meds I'm probably going to have to utilize the AVB in some way or another -- even coming near to combustion in the MFLB I don't get the sleepies, and insomnia is one of my main reasons for medicating. It looks like this might be a good way to get the portions that will help me eat more (right now my BMI is below 19) during the day without getting sleepy, and then maybe either use a higher temperature setting or use the AVB itself from the day's use at night. (Makes me envy those in MMJ states -- an indica edible would probably be my best bet for nighttime meds.)
I'm also curious, but this is more of a general vape discussion, not on a specific product, if anyone has been successful in getting volatiles from other plant sources -- valerian is something I will drink for insomnia, and cats smelling it go all sorts of crazy, it's like catnip on steroids to them. While the taste is so nasty in tea that in a vape I might cry, if it WORKS....
might be a good use for the PuFFiT if I upgrade to another unit later, I probably won't even make the attempt on one I plan to use for tasty blends.