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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:
Thread gallery
13
GoodChat · 02/05/2023 18:50

It was probably an emergency call out charge. Has he given you an invoice with a cost breakdown?

Although, to be fair, when in laws were away and got burgled we only paid £250 in the middle of the night on a Sunday. He didn't have to gain entry then though.

donutque · 02/05/2023 18:51

You need to call the company and complain - you have been taken advantage of which is poor practice. I’d get your XP to ring them for a quote and ask if they can change that type of lock - catch them out.

id literally fight this in court because I cannot stand these bastards.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:52

Have you looked them up on Check A Trade?

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:52

GoodChat · 02/05/2023 18:50

It was probably an emergency call out charge. Has he given you an invoice with a cost breakdown?

Although, to be fair, when in laws were away and got burgled we only paid £250 in the middle of the night on a Sunday. He didn't have to gain entry then though.

This is the invoice

Locksmith quoted £50 and charged £351.60
OP posts:
FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 02/05/2023 18:53

It sounds scammy. My mate was taken for a ride like this a few years ago.
Kind landlady but get a keysafe installed with spare keys in there to avoid a repeat

SchoolTripDrama · 02/05/2023 18:53

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:46

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

Of course they are! Don't be ridiculous

SchoolTripDrama · 02/05/2023 18:55

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz My HA does. They gave theirs to my maintenance man just today for him to come in whilst I was out

Throughalookingglass · 02/05/2023 18:55

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

Many landlirds/ladies live a distance away from their rental property. Usually they get another key cut and post it to the tenants.

Im flabbergasted you think it is their responsibility to be available to let you in.

You have landed on your feet to have such a kind landlady. There is no way I’d have covered the costs of this.

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:55

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:52

Have you looked them up on Check A Trade?

I'm looking now and can't find them on there, will keep looking

OP posts:
VisionsOfSplendour · 02/05/2023 18:56

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/05/2023 18:46

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

You think that a house owner isnt allowed a key to their own house? That would be ridiculous

GoodChat · 02/05/2023 18:56

@Squeezed1 was he a one man band? That's an awful lot of money for drilling a lock. If it was a proper business, phone them and say you've got a broken Yale lock and ask how much to get it drilled out for you.

YellowHatt · 02/05/2023 18:56

I don't have insurance yet I haven't even lived here a whole week.
I got insurance sorted the day I moved in. What if something happened in that first week?

OP posts:
SchoolTripDrama · 02/05/2023 18:57

Booting the door very hard with your foot right where the lock is, would've cost less in damages than this cost

VisionsOfSplendour · 02/05/2023 18:58

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:52

This is the invoice

Show quote history

Is he an employee of a business or a one man band?

If the former I'd make a written complaint and ask for a reduction especially as he suggested you lie to the landlady

If a one man band Id tell him you're going to post a factual review on all the websites warning people how he operates

SchoolTripDrama · 02/05/2023 18:58

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:57

Well here we are

I've found them

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/mylondonlocksmiths.co.uk

Terrible reviews. I'm going to try and claim the money back.

Call your bank! Ask to be transferred to their Disputes team. Tell them you've been scammed by a company known for scamming and the bank will likely refund you

Original poster
Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:59

Some of their reviews

Locksmith quoted £50 and charged £351.60
OP posts:
VisionsOfSplendour · 02/05/2023 18:59

YellowHatt · 02/05/2023 18:56

I don't have insurance yet I haven't even lived here a whole week.
I got insurance sorted the day I moved in. What if something happened in that first week?

How is that helpful or relevant? The OP doesn't have a time machine

EightChalk · 02/05/2023 19:00

I've heard of this scammy practice before - locksmiths saying that a lock "can't be picked" after a cursory fake attempt to make it look like they've tried to the client. They know they have you in a position where you're likely to just agree to the price increase because you need to get back into your home.

BadNomad · 02/05/2023 19:01

Yikes! One poor person got stung for over £900...

EllandRd · 02/05/2023 19:03

This is not on your landlady to pay this, and no it's not ok for the locksmith to quote you a price then increase it after jobs finished.

Gettingbysomehow · 02/05/2023 19:03

Yes thats a massive rip off. I had a whole double glazed door lock replaced as it suddenly failed and wouldn't lock any more and it cost £100. Id have told him to bugger off if he'd asked for that much money.

Vegetus · 02/05/2023 19:03

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.

My bloke is a locksmith and with all due respect you don't have a clue what you're talking about. This lock in particular can be picked, slipped and bypassed it's bread and butter work for anyone who knows what they're doing. The OP has been conned by a rogue locksmith.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 02/05/2023 19:03

If your landlady is happy to pay for it then just thank her.

I’m a LL and I have specific insurance for lost keys and changing locks.

Whilst I don’t have to I have it because of experience (tenant couldn’t afford to do it after losing keys so my property wasn’t properly secure at any point for over a month).

VisionsOfSplendour · 02/05/2023 19:05

Squeezed1 · 02/05/2023 18:59

Some of their reviews

That's shocking, good suggestion about reporting to your card company