Ethiopian Airlines blues

I have lodged a complaint with Flight Centre, Clearwater Mall about Ethiopian Airlines as I was charged R1 824 at Mos***'s Domededova Airport for "excess baggage". Our bags were checked and sent away on the conveyor belt and then told to pay R1 824 before we will be handed our tickets to step on board. There was no Ethiopian Airlines official available and our contracts meant nothing to the rude offical who checked us in. Both my contracts with Flight Centre and Ethiopian Airlines state: "2 Piece(s) for each passenger. No size or weight mentioned. Our two pieces each were not more than 35kg per passenger. My written complaint has gone without any written response from either Flight Centre (and I have been a client for many years) or Ethiopian Airlines.