Cant say I'm much surprised at the result from the family - matches my own experiences over the years.
OK, so here's an idea. If your colleague is not much interested in these medals, and was prepared to give them away, why doesnt she auction them and donate the proceeds to, say, the RAF Benevolent Fund (or any other charity of her choice)? The medals were badly described at the original auction and were probably bought cheaply. With the research now done, they would do very well. A pair to a Captain entitled to the AFC would certainly make a decent 3 figure sum. Use a specialist military auctioneer, or else online auctioneers, as long as a decent comprehensive description is given with all the info that has been obtained.