It does seem to be made of "witches brew". It is very interesting that a professional would put himself in that position of looking silly to clients if he truly believed it did not work. I am 50/50 on the dawsing. Would love to see it on a Myth Busters or similar type of show.
Aesthetically, the Bristan is far better IMO. The answer to your question is a year from will you be sying to yourself I should have spent the extra money? Take $25 and divide by 12, your looking at an extra $2 per month. All that said, the second option looks very nice, just not as nice.
There is no repairing that, nylon, heat, no bueno. Sorry to hear about your new carpet. Possibly a carpet guy could patch it. They sometimes can sew it in and help blend. Best of luck!