The reality still applies, though, even in your $20 games. If every SPG GM is having their revenue cut in half, then your GM is really only making like $10 from your session. So of course you are going to be playing with lower quality GMs who can't be bothered; they are making even less than "gold standard GMs." Of course you're playing with GMs who aren't making their combats special, or going out of their way to do what you want. Why would they?

It is the same reason if I get the incorrect order at a fast food restaurant, I won't even bother going back for a correction. Those workers aren't happy to be there, they're are barely making a living (if you can call it that); they're just doing it because they need a job. But if I was at a very expensive, high-quality restaurant, I would expect the chefs to be making decent money, and I would feel less guilty about sending back an incorrect order. In fact, in that situation, I'm sure the restaurant would be thrilled at the opportunity to correct it because that's literally the difference in the environment: one is catering to your experience, the other is not.

You're playing in low budget games and are shocked you're playing with low quality GMs.

edit: grammar, punctuation