Assessment repair fee cannot be refunded if the machine cannot be repaired, or if quote is way out of whack..

So apparently I must give a five hundred Rand assessment fee to Tafelberg Furnishers for a quotation on a possible repair of my out of warrantee De'Longhi machine, so I asked them if the unit cannot be repaired, do I still have to pay the five hundred Rand, they said yes. What kind of a joke is this? I've been in the electronic industry myself for years and I would NEVER do this to a client. If it cannot be repaired, there is no repair fee.