Best buy where I'm at here in canada had a demo one for about 499US, the other one was about 599 and then there was a 5'er. Can't say I was overly impressed with them tho. They kinda had a cheap import feel to them in a way.
Best Buy in Canada still has instruments in their retail stores? That's surprising. Maybe there's fewer retail competitors.
You're entitled to you opinion, of course, but I can't agree. I've played the one in a local store twice, a natural 4. IMHO the tone is head and shoulders above even the more expensive imports. The feel is of a much more expensive bass. I didn't care for the sunburst finish on the 5er they had, it didn't look good to me in a matte, but otherwise I think they're excellent, especially considering the price.
The problem is that there's nothing about them that says Gibson except the name on the headstock. If this were 1967, these could be starting a legacy. Unfortunately, it's 2017, and Gibson buyers want something that reminds them of traditional Gibson design. That's just the way it is.