Is a 60% commission ever justified?

Hi everyone, looking for some honest industry perspective on an estate liquidation situation involving my elderly parents in Alberta, Canada.

My parents are in their late 70s, dealing with sudden, life-threatening medical crises (advanced cancer and cognitive decline), and are in a highly vulnerable, panicked state. They have physically relocated out of province, and a local estate liquidation company has signed them to a 60% commission contract to handle their home.

Here are the details of the estate:

It is a brand-new, completely clean home (absolutely not a hoarder situation).

The assets are high-value and pristine. Large furniture/electronics easily eyeball at $9,000+, not including small goods, high-end kitchenware, and a brand-new, professional-quality snooker table.

I know companies sometimes charge 50-60% for extreme biohazard/hoarder houses or tiny estates to cover basic labor, but this is what I think is a high-yield, clean estate. The company's own public testimonials show their baseline rate is usually 40%.

The bigger issue: My adult son went by the house unannounced to check on things. The liquidator was there with a group of her personal friends. She explicitly told my son that she "allows her friends to have first dibs on things" behind closed doors before the public sale is even set or advertised.

To me, letting personal friends cherry-pick high-value assets (like a pristine snooker table) off-market is a massive conflict of interest and an absolute breach of fiduciary duty to get the highest price for the client.

Is a 60% commission normal for a high-value, clean estate just because the clients are out of province?

Is allowing friends "first dibs" an accepted or excused practice anywhere in this industry, or is this as predatory as it looks?

I am preparing to intervene legally and appreciate any insight from established professionals here. Thanks.