The lender ordered the appraisal
In the states I broker in, the person who orders the appraisal is responsible for the debt. Loan officers many times try to pass this off to the customer if the customer learns of something better for them.
I can help with this
Although not an attorney, I am a mortgage broker in several states. You can contact the banking commission for your state and file a complaint. Any documents you sign for any loan officer are considered preliminary. You are bound to nothing including using that company...