There seems loads of posts about my problem.
Answers:
1. Yes these barbs were shipped with this product.
2. The reason I used ptfe tape was the barbs were loose after shipping and was informed by my own forum that this would be alright as I had no goop.
I'm currently bench testing a new setup and was unfortunate to have this happen. I blame no one thing other than some design improvements and good housekeeping. Perhaps some more research on my part would have helped.
The supplier has been more than helpful and a replacement top is on its way.