Tie Rod & Control Arm

I got a 2001 VW Beetle from a used lot today and took it to a local shop for inspection. I was told that my tie rod and control arm should be replaced and that I "should have" been feeling a strong pull and heavy vibration. He said these parts "hold the wheel together" and that I was in danger if I didn't pay $1500 immediately to have it all replaced.

This all seemed suspiciously dramatic to a layman like myself, especially considering that I had driven the car almost 100 miles at speeds ranging from 20-80 mph with absolutely no difficulty, no pull, and no vibration whatsoever. I did some research about what these parts do and what happens when they fail, which did not extend to the wheel falling off or anything so dramatic. Then I stumbled across [this post] (https://community.cartalk.com/t/control-arms-ball-joints-and-tie-rods/5809) and started wondering how subjective mechanics' opinions about these parts are?

Has anyone had personal experience with this? Am I being taken advantage of? Or am I trying to make excuses for why I shouldn't pay $1.5k to repair a car?