Pretty well all the bikes I have in my work stand these days have 1x drivetrains. It’s not so much the cassette that gets worn by a slightly ‘stretched’ chain, it’s the chain ring. Makes sense though as people with 30 / 32t rings up front pedalling up steep grades in a 50t rear sprocket is putting a far bit of pressure on the ring. And of course you never shift out of it unlike the old days of 2x or 3x. And of course (again….) you can just ride the whole drivetrain into the grave and replace all at once if you want. Just gotta figure out which is more economical. But I’ve certainly ridden plenty of bikes where we’ve changed the chain at not much beyond 0.5 and the front ring feels like ass.
No-one is trying to rip you off. It’s up to you if you want the latest greatest ultra wide range drivetrain. I had Sram Eagle for a few months but am honestly happy to have resurrected my hardtail with 10sp 1x and the chain, cassette and ring was hilariously cheap, and I don’t really miss the range toooo much.