I know the kind of lute you mean. They are commonly referred to as Ebay lutes by lute players, because that's where they end up. They are poorly constructed, are way too heavy, have terrible action, and sound like rubber bands on a cigar box. You often see them in productions of Taming of the Shrew where Katerina has smashed a lute over her music teacher's head. The props manager takes an Ebay lute, cuts a hole through the soundboard and bowl, and puts it over the actor's shoulders for the scene. Probably the best use for them. I haven't heard one myself, but all of the feedback I've heard or read is uniformly bad.

The problem with practicing on a lute that bad is that you are coping with a bad instrument at a time when you are trying to develop good playing techniques. And you are getting terrible feedback from the instrument, which sounds cruddy no matter what you do. I'm not saying that the lutes I've built myself are masterpieces, but they are at a good enough level to be satisfying instruments for a beginner.

You would be much better off looking for a used instrument at about the same price. On web sites I have seen used instruments made by not-well-known luthiers from the late 70s for about $400-500. They won't be prizes, but you will be much happier with them.