Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Deaf mum exploited by locksmith

60 replies

DanikaHill · 15/07/2025 20:19

Hello mums, lurker here, finally joing Mumsnet although for a reason I'm not thrilled by... Hopefully somebody can help me.

Today my deaf mum was locked out of her house so after googling Fast Locksmith London my mum clicked on this company that sent a man around to her address (her neighbour rang the number)... Turns out it's a scam.

After changing the lock the man told her hearing neighbour he would charge my mum £300, but ended up charging her £855.

The 'invoice' was a piece of paper with no VAT number (although VAT was charged) and a logo for a totally different company.

When I found out I called the guy who changed the lock (he left his number on the piece of paper) but but he said he didn't remember and to call the head office. I rang the 'office', a guy picked up saying this was a hotline not the head office, and that he couldn't give me the head office number and he couldn't help, and that I was inconveniencing him! I'll try calling them again tomorrow but something is very wrong here.

How these people can happily rip off a elderly deaf lady living alone is beyond me. It's so upsetting.

Does anyone have some advice for what my options are at this point?

She paid by debit so I don't think the bank can cancel the payment now.

What's more I was with her yesterday... If only this had happened when I was there... She's devastated but was afraid to not pay this man.

OP posts:
GettingFestiveNow · 15/07/2025 20:22

Report it to the police.

quicklywick · 15/07/2025 20:22

Stuff like this makes me so angry your poor mum 🥺

SailingWonder · 15/07/2025 20:23

There was a thread about this couple of years ago, and apparently it is very much a scam!

ArtTheClown · 15/07/2025 20:23

Oh your poor wee mum!
Unfortunately I've heard of this happening quite a bit - these scamsters get the numbers pushed to the top of google search so that desperate people get caught out.

Hopefully someone will have some advice for you. This shouldn't be legal.

Bluebubblepig · 15/07/2025 20:24

I would definitely report to the police. Your mum won’t be the first or the last they have done it to.

pikkumyy77 · 15/07/2025 20:25

Report to the police and the bank or credit card company she used for payment.

Original poster
DanikaHill · 15/07/2025 20:44

Thank you for your words. It's so hurtful when this happens and you feel powerless after the deed is done.

I've been checking the website and the contact phone number has been changing throughout the day. This is a site that literally appears at the top of Google search, it's so dodgy.

My mum will try and anul the payment in person at the bank tomorrow morning, then I'll call the police.

OP posts:
MyRootinTootinBaby · 15/07/2025 20:45

I’d still report it to the bank. I’m not sure if they can do anything about the charge, but it’s worth letting them know due to it being a scam. Does the receipt say the original price, or the price she was charged?

mcmooberry · 15/07/2025 20:47

Can she do a chargeback on her card? Would definitely try.

PragmaticIsh · 15/07/2025 20:50

I'd also reassure your Mum that she's not daft, this can happen to anyone. It makes you feel so incredibly vulnerable to be scammed, and to feel scared not to pay someone in that kind of situation.

You can also report to Action Fraud.

PragmaticIsh · 15/07/2025 20:50

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Link to action fraud.

Original poster
DanikaHill · 15/07/2025 20:55

Thanks for the link.

To answer the previous question, the receipt (marked 'invoice') has the amount she was charged written on it, £855. Obviously this does not match the £300 he told my neighbour who then confirmed it with my mum. My mum was just confused I think that the charge agreed verbally did not match what was on the invoice and tapped her card...

When you are deaf you tend to put a lot of trust in hearing people... Rightly or wrongly...

OP posts:
fatgirlswims · 15/07/2025 20:59

Sorry for you and your mum. I hope 3 get sorted. Report to 101 now and bank now and hope you have a ring doorbell. What was the reason given for the increase?
They must have used threats or intimidation, definitely dishonestly.

Some humans are just terrible.

we got locked out in freak accident - the door locked itself from the inside -and the locksmith was there in a hour and charge us £200 on Sunday too. So there are honest ones. How awful to prey on someone at their most vulnerable .

gamerchick · 15/07/2025 21:03

She tapped her card, for that much?. Or put a pin in the machine?

MyRootinTootinBaby · 15/07/2025 21:03

The guy saying he doesn’t remember isn’t good enough. She has the bill and the charge on her card. He should be able to explain why he’s charged that amount and to provide a price list to show what is usually charged etc. Could you get someone else to ring and ask him for a quote?

anniegun · 15/07/2025 21:03

Try your local trading standards. We had a presentation from ours and they deal with this sort of thing all the time. There are some wide ranging offences for overcharging in circumstances like this (much more protection than I believed). They will often pick up the case where someone is vulnerable and do the legwork required. Police may brush this off as a civil matter but it is not

Anotherparkingthread · 15/07/2025 21:05

Call him out again to somebody else's house and break his legs in a nearby ally video him and post his face absolutely everywhere.

coffeeandmycats · 15/07/2025 21:19

text him and tell him if he scams anyone again you will go to trading standards

allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 15/07/2025 21:48

@DanikaHill daylight robbery¬¬ I had to get a locksmith out one saturday afternoon to a tenant whose key had broken in the lock/ he came managed to get the door open and opened up the lock completely to remove all the broken bits. was there for 1.5hours and I was less then £100 for a sat afternoon call out.

coffeeandmycats · 15/07/2025 21:49

it will be hard to prove what was said maybe unfortunately let this one go

BallerinaRadio · 15/07/2025 21:50

This is a big issue amongst locksmiths at the minute, there is a big Master Locksmiths Association campaign to highlight this. If you get in touch with them they might be able to advise you.

defrazzled · 15/07/2025 21:51

You and yours on the BBC covered this last week:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lnpdr0
How did she pay? She should speak to credit/debit card provider re coercion. Have a listen.

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, Complaints about rogue locksmiths rise by 45%

The Master Locksmith Association has given new figures to the You and Yours programme.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lnpdr0

ElfAndSafetyBored · 15/07/2025 21:53

My MIL is pretty sharp and she got charged £700 for changing a lock - and was grateful. These predators are vile. I’m so sorry it happened to your mum.

As others have said, report to trading standards.

Espressosummer · 15/07/2025 21:54

coffeeandmycats · 15/07/2025 21:19

text him and tell him if he scams anyone again you will go to trading standards

Or just report to trading standards now...
He's hardly going to take seriously a threat to report him if he continues. How would the OP know for a start.

Swipe left for the next trending thread