A similar experience once with a new Beocom 6000 purchased in Frankfurt. I called the store using our BC 2, and the salesperson offered to look at and repair the phone, but then suggested ( helpfully ) to look at the battery.
The battery was dead, and a suggestion was made to purchase one locally, Total cost 5 Sfr. and it continues to operate fine. ( In hindsight, those instructions were in the manual that came with the purchase ).
There was never a mention of an " assessment fee, " a rather dubious statement, as it sounds as though the phone would be sent out for review and repairs elsewhere by one of the sales staff. Besides having you drive down with your phone, or post it in at your expense, what service do they perform for this fee ?
Opening your box delicately, observing vital signs of life, praying over it, applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or perhaps defribrillation ? All kidding aside, what do they do besides placing the item in a box with a repairs request to justify this sum ?