Well, they're not the best looking handguns in the world, that's for sure! I think that because they're sort of ugly, folks avoid them. But, I've also read that they're just cheap and don't shoot well. Now, I don't own one and haven't shot one either, so take my opinion for what it's worth.
They are certainly inexpensive, I'll say that for them...Bud's currently has them for $99.95.
Which one were you looking to pick up? What about a Bersa Thunder instead? That's a nice compact .380 that has a very good rep and a loyal following. If you jump to 9mm and above then you're going to pay more for one of their compacts, or the better known compacts from Kahr, S&W, Kimber, etc. But, a face full of .380 from a well-disciplined shooter would certainly deter any bad guy.
http://www.bersafirearmsusa.com/detail_bersa380.php