yeah, i cant see that making a noticeable diff in your camera leveling. just doesnt make sense. the torque on that center screw is going to pull everything down as low as it can go. and having one side lower than the other shouldnt matter.
now if one side stuck up past the bottom of the camera - now THAT could be an issue.
i just dont see how that could cause that to happen. just kinda defies physics IMO. i think your tripod wasnt level and all this defect buzz has made you hypersensitive...
My HPX170 mounting plate appears similar to the photo above but, it is not the mounting plate that is inclined, it is the plastic covering the baseplate that has a slight bow to it that seats flat when you apply any pressure at all. The camera is dead level on a tripod.