Meh, one of my pots came pre-seasoned and I just started using it as if I'd seasoned it myself, after the first couple of weeks of simply using it, it now has the exact same surface as everything I seasoned myself, because every time you fry something in it, it just improves the seasoning.
shrug
I mean I'm happy I know how to season my stuff, but if it lowers the entry-barrier to cast iron I think it's worth it.
I'll look into carbon steel if I ever need a new one, thanks. But honestly, cast iron is just build to last.
And I don't trust the soap around here, my first seasoning-tries went horribly flakey after I used soap on them. I'd rather just hot water and scrub, stuff usually just wipes off.