I don't agree with your view (but that's what opinions are for): we are not hung up over a T-Shirt. I have done quite a few races now and the goody bag, medal and speed of putting up results compared to other races were bad. That's all. Just a comparison.
I am not really sure what I paid the money for? The goody bag was disappointing, the medal was disappointing (no year on it), no chip timing and no results yet. The scenery was lovely and there was good support. Not sure if I will do this again. Bit of a rip off.