Putting bloatware on devices in return for a lower price is a time-honored tradition in the PC world, famously used by Lenovo and others. It's also de rigueur with carriers like Verizon on locked phones, and you could even argue that apps from handset makers like Samsung are bloatware (*cough* Bixby), since few people actually use them.

As proof of much those ads can be worth, Amazon jacked the Prime Exclusive phone prices by $20 when it removed them. That makes the cost folks paid to get rid of them a bit steep (it varies by device, but as much as $50), and the refund in the form of store credit, rather than cash might not please everyone. However, it does give you an excuse to buy something rather than socking the money away.