I am sorry you had a tough start, I had much the same. Looking back I would have started a lot different.

I agree with you that it is a pain with all of the options out there, I however like to think that the competition between brands gives us all a better quality product regardless of what you choose. I for one chose to get started with the ready to fly packaged trainer plane, it came with everything needed to fly all in one box. I needed fuel and a glow driver. My first flight was done with a home made squeeze bottle fueling system and a chicken stick for a starter.
This hobby will quickly baffle and upset almost anyone, the first time you loose a plane will break your heart.

The first time you maiden your first kit, built by you plane, well all of that other crap that ticked you off will go away. Yes this hobby can be a huge pain. If you start to read a lot in this forum you will find a theme to almost every piece of advice for someone getting into the hobby for the first time.

It will help absolutely every new pilot more then anything else you will read on this website,it would have already saved you money, time, headaches and a tough start in what is an extremely rewarding and fun hobby.
Once you are interested, go find a club, watch those guys fly, ask questions, and above all let them help. I have yet to meet anyone in this hobby that is not willing to help another get started. From watching, to building, to flying, to knowing where the best hobby shops and the best prices are.
ask about what you truly need to spend money on and what you do not.
I learned all of this the hard way myself.

Good luck to you and feel free to post here and ask anything and everything there will always be help.