From my experience, they're worth the asking price. Made in USA, super durable, great intonation, and a surprisingly good sound. Still not quite as rich as a decent solid-wood uke in terms of sound, but they have their own unique vibe. Sure, they cost four times as much as a Dolphin, but to me they sound and play four times better and they're still travel-friendly.
The options do tend to make them as expensive as better-sounding ukes, but they aren't necessary. The plastic fretboard is fine and will tolerate wet, sandy fingers at the beach. The stock friction tuners are good quality and I've never felt like I needed to upgrade to pegheds.
My Flea has probably gotten more playing time than my Kamaka and KoAloha combined because it's the uke I feel most comfortable taking outside the house and leaving on a desk. It gets more compliments and attention than any of my other ukes, and doubles as a pretty good percussion instrument. Also, customer service is awesome. Totally worth it, in my opinion.