Yeah, the store was a ripoff in retrospect. Some of the items were okay, but a lot of them were underwhelming (the restaurant set and roller coaster set come to mind).
The only reason people didn't complain back then was probably because they felt that TS3 expansions were more complete and substantial. Should the surfing set be bundled with Island Paradise? Possibly, but Island Paradise was pretty packed, so it didn't feel like they chopped away the surfing from IP to nickel and dime us (although some could see it that way).
Contrast that to Sims 4. A lot of people felt that C&D was lacking some things. It only had two flat-looking pet beds. And then EA decides to charge $10 for an SP that adds pet beds and other furniture. They also couldn't be bothered to add other things that people felt were basic, like kids being able to walk pets. Someone had to make a mod, and the only reason it wasn't in the game was because the animation to put on a leash didn't look good on kids.
