You could also ask for an end user's qualifications before selling him/her a remote! (just kidding).

I understanding where CI's are coming from, but I don't see why a product should be kept from me that I'm perfectly able to program.

In the UK we have a well established (admittedly small) chain of hifi shops whose sales pitch is the attention/service/warranty/support they give to consumers and don't offer internet sales (i.e. they know they can't compete on price with the internet). So if you want cheap - internet; if you want help/advice/service, etc.. you buy from them.

Why shouldn't end users be able to have the choice to buy from a CI (if they want the service/programming) or just buy the product.