What I took was an intensive 10-day instrument rating course...
I've no reason at all (quite the contrary) to think the other
ones are any different.

Based on what you described, I can very comfortably state that your did
NOT do your training with PIC. That's because PIC is different. At
PIC you get an experienced instructor who is himself an experienced
instrument pilot, and thus you learn enough about actually flying IFR
in IMC to have a reasonable chance of continuing to learn on your own
reasonably safely.

Are there other good options besides PIC? I'm sure there must be. All
you really need to make the training work is an experienced instrument
pilot who knows how to teach effectively and a low end sim - PC based
is fine. I just happen to know that PIC does it, if not right, at
least as well as it can be done if you want to get it done in 10 days.

And then there's the course you took. In your own words:

To say the
course prepares one to fly IFR would be more than a stretch.
It would be absurd.

So there's definitely a difference. Of course PIC isn't cheap, but it
does a reasonable job of preparing you to fly IFR. So what's the
difference?

Basically, it's most likely the instruction. I know quite a few
instructors who would be well qualified to teach such a course, and
would make it far more than a minimum-standards rating course. Some of
them actually do teach instruments part time. None of them are
available to teach 10 solid days in a row because they have jobs that
are either high-paying already (these tend to be the pilot owners) or
jobs that they expect will lead to high paying jobs (freight dogs and
such). If you want to fly with them, you work around their schedule.
They are mostly not interested in quitting their jobs to instruct full
time as independent contractors.

The economics of independent contracting by the day works like this -
unless your REALLY hustle, you are lucky get 200 billable days a year
(and you will spend at least 50 days working that are not billable -
dealing with accounts and taxes, networking, marketing, etc.). Also,
by the time you cover expenses, self-employment taxes, insurance, and
other such costs an employee doesn't worry about, you need to make
about double in gross revenue to match what you would get from a salary
in an 8-5 job. So really those billable days must be AT LEAST
$600/day. That's $6000 for that 10-day course, not including aircraft.

I bet you didn't pay half of that. I'll also bet that had you paid the
premium for PIC, you would feel differently about there being no
difference.

You may not get what you pay for, but you sure will pay for what you
get.
Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick any two.

Michael