I've had no luck with smoke flavor up until I switched to Lumberjack pellets. I used a smoke tube as well with their Supreme Blend and got a real nice smoke profile on the ribs I smoked yesterday. With that said, everyone has a different idea of what "smoke flavor" should be so what works for...
That isn't 'normal' behavior. I would contact RT and let them advise you on how to handle any potential issues moving forward.
Is there any chance some of your pellets were wet when you poured them in?
I think you're being way too critical. The USPS has slowed down quite a bit due to COVID and the mail in voting across the country has increased mail flow which is compounding the issue.
I have the stock base and I roll mine over uneven ground pretty often and have not had any problems with it. With that said, I am pretty gentle with it.