Plextor 716UF: iTunes issue - importing

Hi,
Just purchased a 716UF. I insert an audio CD. iTunes recognizes it & freedb pulls up the info - all normal. But when you select tracks & click the "import" icon, it completes the task in seemingly record time (less than 1 sec). The happy three-tone "I'm finished" song plays - but no tracks are added to the iTunes library. This applies whether it is 1 track or the entire CD. It also applies no matter which audio format you select (mp3, wav, etc).
I can locate the newly created "mp3s" (w/ Windows Explorer). In fact, they are in the iTunes file - but unlike other non-iTunes mp3s, when you dbl-click on the file, they don't begin playing - nothing happens.
My guess is the newly created files are not mp3s at all (in name only), but why would iTunes recognize the drive & not the files created from the drive? iTunes help was no help, plextor helpline was only concerned w/ the drive - which appears to be fine. I can burn mp3s thru PlexTools, but this somewhat defeats the purpose of using iTunes.
I'd greatly appreciate some wisdom.