Forum | Ripped off from a locksmith? by runningman75

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Ripped off from a locksmith? 11:39 - Aug 15 with 24762 views

I was unable to get into my house on Friday evening due to a lock being broken . Tried to contact siblings who had a spare key but unable to get through. Around 8.30 p.m phoned a company after a google search on phone and locksmith arrived. States lock was broken and was an old lock which probably had needed replacing. He had to drill the other lock to get into the house and prior to doing this had quoted me £250 for a new lock which I said fine as a specialist lock. By the time the new lock was put on I then got charged over £450 which included labour, VAT and emergency break in fee. Obviously put a downer on my weekend (apart from QPR result). Wondering if people know about consumer issues as felt as I was in a vulnerable position and these companies can charge any price they like.

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 14:48 - Jan 3 with 1847 views

Catapulta

Sorry to hear about that especially as I Got the same issue a couple of weeks ago. I wasnt able to get into my house as my my key stuck in the door locker, more than that it was the key was spinned somehow ( Maybe I tried to hard to open the door). The locksmith took over 200 pounds for his work( new keylocer included)

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 15:51 - Jan 4 with 1370 views

bob566

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 08:56 - Jun 28 by headhoops
Get a spare key cut - Timpson's £2.50 Buy one of these on ebay for £11.00 Hide it in the garden - job done for under £15. Dont get too pi$$ed and forget the code. We did it after a similar £280 bill for a new lock.

nice.

Or the alternative. Leave a key with a neighbour.

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 16:10 - Jan 4 with 1331 views

Juzzie

New house, new problem!... Moved in almost a year ago then in the summer the front door locking mechanism jammed. With two young kids getting agitated your brain just freezes and you just think of the quickest way out (or in, as it were) of the situation and this is what they prey on.

I rang one of those emergency places and they quoted something like £500-600 to basically makes a mess of the door and put in some kind of temporary lock. So, on top of that I'd probably need to replace the door 7 lock too, more expense.

Whilst i waited for him to arrive one of my neighbours arrived home and I asked her as I remembered she knew a locksmith. I called him to see if he could do it for a better price but he had been watching one of the Euro footie games and had too many beers to drive, let lone probably work!

My neighbour came to the rescue by doing something (I won't say what lol!) that got the door open. My hero!
So I quickly called the locksmith to cancel. They, of course, tried to continue with the job citing the door may still get locked again blah blah blah but I said that as long as I don't actually double-lock the door it can still be opened & closed so just politely said no thanks... byeeee!

Once we were in and everything calmed down I suddenly realised I had a key for the back door and could have just climbed over a neighbour's fence and got in and if needs be let the kids in via the side gate once the inside bolts pulled down!! Doh!! This was the brain freeze/panic from earlier making me not think straight plus combined with not living in a property with an accessible back door for nearly 20 years [flats on the 4th floor generally don't have one] so didn't spring to mind.

Lady luck shone on me twice in one go that day.

Got a proper locksmith in and it got it fixed properly for around £150.

Moral of the story.... don't panic, and try and find a reputable one beforehand and store the contact details in your phone ready for when/if it happens.

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 15:01 - Aug 4 with 951 views

Salo

Of course, the price he's charged you is above the market. The worst part is you can't do much about this situation. If he work for a company, then write a negative review on their website or any other social media account.
Recently I started to hear a lot of negative reviews of different kinds towards locksmith specialists. The list can go to infinite with the following reviews bad quality, rude attitude, unprofessional workers, and high prices.
I was lucky to discover locksmith w7( https://welocksmith.co.uk/locksmith-near-me/locksmith-west-london/w7-hanwell-loc who serves me professionally, fast, and at an affordable price.

[Post edited 8 Aug 2022 7:33]

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 15:10 - Aug 4 with 917 views

toboboly

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 15:01 - Aug 4 by Salo

[Post edited 8 Aug 2022 7:33]

Especially with it being 6 years ago

Sexy Asian dwarves wanted.

Ripped off from a locksmith? on 16:21 - Aug 4 with 851 views

Benny_the_Ball

The key (pardon the pun) with emergency locksmiths is to stay calm, request a quote and not buy a replacement lock from them. I paid £75 to gain entry and then replaced the lock myself the next day. It's pretty straightforward for those with basic DIY skills. If you're putting in a new lock then yes you'll need to chisel out a hole. However if you're replacing an existing lock then buy the same model or a similar lock with the same dimensions.

That being said, when I rang the company they quoted me £75. After the locksmith gained entry he requested £150. He claimed that he was an independent contractor and didn't have to honour the price of the company I called. One quick phone call to the company later and he left with £75.

Great idea about the key safe provided you can remember the code. Also, as someone else mentioned, if it's an option breaking a pane of glass can often work out cheaper. When I lived on the South Coast the properties were in a conservation area and had wooden sash windows. My key snapped in the cylinder so I climbed into the back garden, broke a small pane of glass, and climbed through the window. Glazier cut me a replacement pane for £1.

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