I am so glad you heard from them and they are taking care of you. It is always a good idea to contact upper management in situations like this, because sometimes it is just the employee that just does not want to deal with it.
I have every size of Olfa mat and have never had a problem with any of them. My smaller ones travel to classes, etc. I never noticed an odor or have had peeling. I tried June Taylor and Fiskars and they both dull the blades too fast and are way too rigid. Enjoy your new mat.