£1000+ to drill out jammed Yale lock and replace with new security lock

[limetrees32]

Does this sound within the realms of reasonable ?

Well yes agree. I keep a list of 2 electricians, plumbers, roofers etc, all local and have done work for friends and myself so i know they are good. problem with google etc is that you can pay for good reviews, my friend is hairdresser and gets contacted a lot for this service.

It's things like this that make me glad I live in a fairly rural area where word of mouth recommendations are fairly easy to come by and anyone who ripped people off like that wouldn't be in business for very long!
Of course, there's bad apples around but they are easier to spot around here, although sadly they will always prey on the vulnerable, but usually by cold calling.

Can't remember what my DS paid for new front and back door locks when he bought his house a few months ago, but pretty sure it was less than £150 for both door locks.

Can you ask around neighbours or friends for recommendations of various trades and keep the details for future reference.

dont use google...they pay to have ads on top etc as @bumblebee1000 said .
This was where I went wrong .
I phoned a v good local locksmith but they didn't offer emergency call outs .
They recommended a firm .I googled to check contact details and carelessly in haste thought the result that came up was them .But it was another firm altogether.

Here's a useful website for victims of a locksmith scam https://locksmithscams.co.uk/ Also gives information on how to find a reputable local locksmith so you can put number into your phone.

Exactly that’s a very cheap looking site for a supposedly high end product

I live rurally and I've occasionally just had to throw money at a problem because I haven't had the time to spend sorting out an alternative. For example, one Christmas (the day before Christmas Eve) my immersion tank sprang a leak. Not one single local plumber would come out and I had to pay over £1k for a man to drive over, drain the tank, fix the leaking valve and refill the tank, a job it would have taken a local plumber about twenty minutes and fifty quid to do. But it was pissing water all over my bathroom and nobody 'could come out before New Year'. Money gone but bathroom dry - c'est la vie.