I’ve had that happen to me. Charges consistently much higher than initial quote. Found a different Service Centre and prices are a quarter of previous Centre. So shop around. Word of mouth is a powerful tool.
Many years ago, we used to have to have a TV Licence. I think it paid for the ABC. It was when I was very young and at the time was living in Sydney so not sure if it was Australia wide or just State wide.
Use a hairdryer pointed to the inside of the shoe. Then put your feet in Wait till it cools slightly as you don’t want to burn your feet. The leather will shape to your foot. Works for me.
I find people are being much more judgmental these days. Nobody knows the story behind the issues so stop making judgments unless you can walk a mile in their shoes.