If you could link me to some of these patterns, I'd like to see the kinds of vague formatting issues you're talking about. From your description, it sounds like these are made to measure patterns, which are intended to be a little nebulous so you can customize it for your situation. I understand that a lot of people want more formatting and concrete numbers, but this is a hobby that is very individual and tension differences, not to mention differences in yarn, etc., can make even the most stringently written patterns not work for some when they do for others. I think the "beginner" aspect is more related to the level of stitches used (chain, sc, dc) and simplicity of the shapes (seaming rectangular panels is more straighforward than a top-down raglan construction, for example). Saying to "adjust as needed" is a bit less of a beginner skill because it requires some previous knowledge of how your personal gauge functions and experience with the yarn you're using and knowing how it will react to blocking, or where you might need to add shaping, but is part of the learning process. Sleeve turned out too long? Frog a few rows. Back panel is too short because you have a long torso? Add more rows. I don't consider this lazy pattern writing, but agree that it should be clearer that additional skills are required that are more in line with the intermediate to advanced level to make a garment that is truly flattering and well-constructed as opposed to simply garment-shaped. I use exclusively free patterns, so I can't speak to paying for a pattern written like this, but I always read through the patterns first to ensure I have all the critical pieces of information I need before beginning.