This is a clear sign of crappy knives. Good knives would never be packaged with a sharpener because they should only be sharpened professionally. By comparison, good knives are often packaged with a honing steel. Generally, they wouldn't bother packaging crappy knives with a honing steel. (However, the lack of packaging with a honing steel shouldn't be interpreted negatively: The very best knives are always sold individually, without any other knives or a honing steel.)
This really points out, though, the main issue with knives: Beyond the obvious (poorly made, so that the handles are, or overall balance is, such that the knives are either uncomfortable to work with or degrade too quickly over time and eventually fail), what really makes knives bad is poor (typically unprofessional) sharpening, and inattention to honing. A commercial sharpener could so badly wreck a blade that it is more difficult (and perhaps less safe) to use. They can even cause such damage that professional sharpening may be unable to effect recovery, without taking off a substantial amount of material (and therefore severely undercutting the life of the blade).
Most of us would be better off buying even marginally crappy blades, but using a honing steel before every use, and having them professionally sharpened regularly.
(While I'm pretty consistent with regard to honing, I'm pretty irresponsible with regard to sharpening.)
