A crease in the boot where it's bending doesn't automatically mean the skates are broken down - it could just mean they are broken in. I always crease my boots - the leather can't bend without doing so. But I can skate with them like that for a year or more before the stability of the boot actually breaks down.
Agreed, those are normal "broken in" creases, nothing you'd need to worry about in terms of resale value - deeper creases that extend back towards the heel counter would be, but these don't look anything like those do
You can even get deeper creases with normal break-in, and those aren't always a problem either - my Harlicks have fairly big/deep creases that they developed fairly quickly (and I followed correct break-in procedures) but they've not gotten worse over time, they've just stayed the same - so those are fine).
And it's weird to me that you didn't get to keep the old blades. They're yours, you'd paid for them before. I would have asked why he was keeping them, as otherwise you could have done something with them yourself.
Agreed - unless it was discussed beforehand that you'd be giving him the blades in exchange for the work, it's not okay that he kept them. They're not his.