I'v come to this thread a little late and all that I would have said about this "flying school" has all ready been said and you have reached the right conclution.
Now can we please have a hint or two as to who the rip off merchants are ? this way other people will not have to climb the same learning curve and who knows the school may mend it's ways ?!
It would not be right to outright name and shame a flying school without them being able to defend themselves here. I will be informing them of this thread however, tonight I have just been informed by my 'new' Liverpool based flying school/club, Ravenair
next door (hint hint), that they will check me out in their PA28 and it will take as long as it takes. He said that based on my flying (I just did a PA38 checkflight with him) that it is likely to take no more that 1 hour or 1.5 hours but all depends on the flight at the time.