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AIBU?

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Original poster

Locksmith quoted £50 and charged £351.60

293 replies

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:06

I got locked out of my new flat today. My autistic son opened the door and made a run for it, I ran out after him and the door shut behind me.

My landlady couldn't find her copy of the key (she has dozens of keys due to her actual job - but she has some pretty serious health problems, so I felt terrible bothering her with it in the first place)

I looked online and found a locksmith company that will come and pick the lock and let you in for £50. Happy days. No pressure on my landlady. She was happy for me to proceed and said ofc the £50 would come off my rent.

Locksmith came and had a 2 second fiddle with the lock and said he couldn't pick that type of lock (standard yale) so he'd have to drill through and replace the lock otherwise I wasn't getting in the flat. I had my 3 kids with me.

He wanted payment there and then and said I'd have to recoup the £ from my Landlady. I asked for the total £351.60

I had no choice but to pay it.

I feel a bit conned. Is this the norm? To advertise a service at a reasonable price and then turn up and quadruple it?

My bank account is pretty much empty now and whilst I'm sure my Landlady will get the money to me somehow, she has said as much and she's a really nice person so wouldn't not help me, it all feels pretty shit.

OP posts:
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13
Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:38

Ellaelle · 02/05/2023 18:35

How dreadful, I hate when people (locksmith)take advantage of someone's misfortune like that. My worst nightmare is getting locked out! Next time check with your car insurance, add key coverage for about 20 pounds extra for the year I believe it covers all your keys (car and house). I'm not sure why your landlady must pay for it though, does she have insurance that covers it?

It doesn't seem like she is liable for it and is just being very kind offering to recompense me.

I was under the misguided impression that the landlord is responsible for lock changes, but I stand corrected on that one.

I'll bare that in mind about key coverage as I wasn't aware it's a thing!

I know the locksmiths have a job to do and family to feed etc but I do feel a bit conned and railroaded into paying for something that wasn't totted up for me beforehand. If he'd have told me the price before he started drilling I wouldn't have asked him to continue 😔

OP posts:
krustykittens · 02/05/2023 18:39

Having re-read your OP, I also think it is a bit suss that he demanded you pay it there and then and told you to recoup it from your landlady. A) pressure to pay without querying the final bill, and b) misleading you into thinking you can recoup your money from a third party. I would put a call into CAB if I were you. It might come to nothing but it is worth a call.

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:40

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 02/05/2023 18:36

Wow.

We got locked out of our house just as we were leaving for a long journey - it's a UPVC door that locks itself and DS had closed the door not realising the key was still in the lock on the other side.

I called the first person I found on Google, he was there in an hour and charged us £60?! I think he's absolutely scammed you OP and I reckon there are a lot of people on here also being scammed if they think £350~ for ten minutes work and however long it took to get to you.

This was my thinking exactly, its an absolute scam. I understand having a call out fee on top of the proposed £50 but over £350 is just extortion 😔

OP posts:
krustykittens · 02/05/2023 18:40

Hang on, so he did the work and THEN told you it could come to over £300?! So you didn't agree a price before he started work?

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:40

krustykittens · 02/05/2023 18:39

Having re-read your OP, I also think it is a bit suss that he demanded you pay it there and then and told you to recoup it from your landlady. A) pressure to pay without querying the final bill, and b) misleading you into thinking you can recoup your money from a third party. I would put a call into CAB if I were you. It might come to nothing but it is worth a call.

Thank you! It definitely feels "off" indeed. I think I'll do that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:41

krustykittens · 02/05/2023 18:40

Hang on, so he did the work and THEN told you it could come to over £300?! So you didn't agree a price before he started work?

Yep! This is right.

OP posts:
Saschka · 02/05/2023 18:42

Those are easy to force - you just need to put a credit card down the crack between the door and the frame and push the catch back in. You’ve been robbed.

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:42

Saschka · 02/05/2023 18:42

Those are easy to force - you just need to put a credit card down the crack between the door and the frame and push the catch back in. You’ve been robbed.

Oh fucking hell 😔

I wish It occurred to me to look that up

OP posts:
ColdHandsHotHead · 02/05/2023 18:42

I was charged more than £400 by a locksmith a few years ago. There are loads of scammers in the business.

krustykittens · 02/05/2023 18:43

Oooh, no, that is not on! Phone call to CAB first thing and I would be ringing them tomorrow armed with any information CAB give you and tell them you are making a compliant to Trading Standards! I would want some of that money back!

JudgeRudy · 02/05/2023 18:43

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:27

I don't have insurance yet I haven't even lived here a whole week.

As PP said she was being kind offering to take the hit as she wasn't able to provide me with the spare key which would ordinarily be the case if a tenant can't get in.

Show quote history

No, it wouldn't ordinarily be the case that the landlord would supply a spare key if you had lost yours or didn't have it with you. This m8ght be something thos particular landlord can do but it's definitely not fhe norm.

Greengold123 · 02/05/2023 18:44

Wow what a landlady to pay that, definitely should have been paid by you.

I'm surprised there are lots of people saying you've misunderstood the website/ qoute when this clearly isn't the case. What's actually happened is you've asked them to pick the lock which costs £50 but, as is common knowledge, some locks can't be picked and the only option is an expensive drilling to get in then replace which you authorised.

You haven't been conned.

GasPanic · 02/05/2023 18:46

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:30

Gosh I must be incredibly lucky to have such a kind landlady then. I assumed the landlord/lady handled things like this as standard.

This is the lock I had in, pic should be attached.

What do you reckon?

Show quote history

Hard to be 100% certain, but from what I can see doesn't look like anything special to me.

You can probably get a new one like it from amazon for about £20-£30.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:46

I didn't think landlords were even allowed to hold a spare key!

Radiohat · 02/05/2023 18:46

Last year I was conned my a locksmith ( some are actually rogue traders and not propper locksmiths)

I managed to get my money back as i had paid with my visa card..... they unfortunately have taken advantage of you. .... so sorry

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:47

I told him I was worried about the price as I didn't have much money and he said he'd "help" me by snapping the old key in the old lock so the landlady could claim on her insurance and say it was a faulty lock.

I'm not even sure if she has insurance to be honest, I don't though as I've only lived here a matter of days.

Obviously I've been completely upfront with my landlady about what has happened and she's not about to commit insurance fraud but I think that goes some way to highlighting the ethics of the company...

OP posts:
Clymene · 02/05/2023 18:47

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:46

I didn't think landlords were even allowed to hold a spare key!

Of course they are! It's their property Confused

Saschka · 02/05/2023 18:47

Greengold123 · 02/05/2023 18:44

Wow what a landlady to pay that, definitely should have been paid by you.

I'm surprised there are lots of people saying you've misunderstood the website/ qoute when this clearly isn't the case. What's actually happened is you've asked them to pick the lock which costs £50 but, as is common knowledge, some locks can't be picked and the only option is an expensive drilling to get in then replace which you authorised.

You haven't been conned.

The conning part is claiming a big standard Yale lock “can’t be picked” - if it was a mortice or something, maybe. But a Yale?

GasPanic · 02/05/2023 18:48

Oh and what Saschka says is right, you can normally force them. Not always possible but usually is.

Therealjudgejudy · 02/05/2023 18:48

Are you seriously going to ask your landlady to pay for your mistake??

Vintagecreamandcottagepie · 02/05/2023 18:48

Why are people so bloody judgey about saying it's not the ll's problem 🙄That has been arranged and both parties agreed. Why kick op when she's down?

He conned you imo. When I was younger I locked myself out more than once and it was closer to the £50 than what you paid. Also the price was pretty much what I was quoted...

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:48

Clymene · 02/05/2023 18:47

Of course they are! It's their property Confused

Show quote history

Housing Associations don't. I wasn't sure if it was different for private landlords.

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:48

Greengold123 · 02/05/2023 18:44

Wow what a landlady to pay that, definitely should have been paid by you.

I'm surprised there are lots of people saying you've misunderstood the website/ qoute when this clearly isn't the case. What's actually happened is you've asked them to pick the lock which costs £50 but, as is common knowledge, some locks can't be picked and the only option is an expensive drilling to get in then replace which you authorised.

You haven't been conned.

What makes less than 3 minutes of drilling so expensive? Are the drills made from solid gold?

OP posts:
Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:50

Radiohat · 02/05/2023 18:46

Last year I was conned my a locksmith ( some are actually rogue traders and not propper locksmiths)

I managed to get my money back as i had paid with my visa card..... they unfortunately have taken advantage of you. .... so sorry

I paid with my visa card too! How did you manage to get the money back?

OP posts: