.. the more popular an item, the more issues u will see arise. Almost all problems will get posted, but not every good experience does. Have u checked masterbuilt groups? There's soooo many problems, yet my friend has one that works great. We all tend to post more complaints, than successes.
About the bent element shield, Steve had said, as long as it isn't touching the actual element, it's not really going to affect anything. If u try to tweak it a bit, be sure not to break the welds in back.