Glad it's sorted mate. That pisses me of that they fed you a load of BS.
I suspect I was fed some BS by the garage I have used a couple of times. I booked my ute in for a timing cover seal replacement and brake flush. The bloke didn't charge me anything but reckoned he flushed the brakes, even though a few months later the brake fluid was filthy when the other garage flushed them while replacing the pads.
Then the bloke who was meant to change the seal said the balancer was stuck on, likely with Loctite and to get it off would likely break it. Yet my experience with Loctite retaining compound is that it's not that strong....... And when I said I will buy a balancer, so when it breaks I don't have to pay Repco prices, he says don't do that, we'll just get one if it does break and I will give it to you at cost price. I suspect they didn't touch the car and just run out of time......
And reading your dilemma over the last few weeks, makes me think even more I was fed BS......