VW Brake Question

[Badger]

OK, so my rear pads are gone. I take it to "Dave's" and they wanted $345 parts and labor for the pads $111 for a brake fluid flush. This is for an '02 VW Passat 1.8T, 55k miles. 25k miles by me with no brake work.

Brake Check, a chain here in Austin, tells me I can get these services for $90 and $40 respectively.

I ask Brake Check about their brakes and they say they are ceramic and branded specifically for them, say they're good quality, and the other place is fleecing me. Dave's assures me that his cost is what they are quoting me, and that there's no way I get out of Brake Check for less than what he's charging me. Brake Check reassures me their quote is good to the penny.

I read a couple internet horror stories about Brake Check and decide it can't be all that bad since they do so many brakes in Texas they're gonna piss someone off. Besides, they're just replacing pads- I've done this before myself on a Dodge with a little help, and I'm not that good with cars.

So as I'm picking my car up from the place that wanted $450. I tell them I'm gonna take it somewhere else, maybe even do it myself. A mechanic walking buy mentions something about the calipers being different on VW's and it's easy to screw up and you can blow up some cylinder.

My questions-
1) Are these ceramic brakes branded for Brake Check not worth saving over $300? Will they be the same as a name brand?
2) How legitimate is the claim that these brakes are difficult and that someone else or myself could really F up my car?
3) If they are more difficult am I still OK trusting Brake Check?
4) If I can find somewhere I can get my car up on a jack is this something I should do myself?