Locksmith question

Jono8 · 20 Mar 2024 at 08:17

Yes that seems obscene. The only reasonable price on there is maybe the emergency call out fee depending on what day it is/time.

The rest is ridiculous. How long was the locksmith there? I'm assuming no more than a couple of hours tops. What an hourly rate!

What type of door/lock was it? A Yale British standard euro cylinder is like £15 -£25 on Amazon depending on the size, and a mortice lock cartridge is also about £15.

I just moved and replaced all the locks in my house myself which was like two mortice locks, some hex bolts, 3 euro cylinders and a couple of deadbolts for outside buildings (summer house/shed etc) for not much more than £100 for all the parts, and a couple of hours work (which was mainly the mortice locks as they took a tiny bit of chiseling/adjusting of the door and frame).

Nearly £1500 for one lock seems totally insane, unless it was some huge unusual antique door that needed rare or purpose built parts, and took days to fix!

Mr Jack · 20 Mar 2024 at 09:40

Jono8 said:
I just moved and replaced all the locks in my house myself which was like two mortice locks, some hex bolts, 3 euro cylinders and a couple of deadbolts for outside buildings (summer house/shed etc) for not much more than £100 for all the parts, and a couple of hours work (which was mainly the mortice locks as they took a tiny bit of chiseling/adjusting of the door and frame).

Honestly, I wish I'd realised how incredibly cheap and easy it is to replace the cylinders on doors sooner. I'd have swapped over all the locks at each of my old houses if I'd realised what a quick and trivial job it is.

arknor · 20 Mar 2024 at 09:49

Kelt said:
Is BBC Watchdog still a thing?

I'd be contacting them if so.

just calll them again and get joe pesci to come around , tell the guy who turns up you want 1200 or his fingers

police in this country won't do a damn thing unless its on twitter or your in a mansion like a footballer

Maccy · 20 Mar 2024 at 09:53

This is terribly sad and I feel for your father, hopefully you can get some of this refunded.

Surprised (or maybe not surprised) that they've put no VAT on the receipt when there's a couple of items on that receipt which should have VAT too!

Jono8 · 20 Mar 2024 at 09:58

Mr Jack said:
Honestly, I wish I'd realised how incredibly cheap and easy it is to replace the cylinders on doors sooner. I'd have swapped over all the locks at each of my old houses if I'd realised what a quick and trivial job it is.

Yes, i hadn't realised how easy it was until i looked into it. It is hilariously easy. Turn the key, undo one screw, take old one out, put new one it and screw the screw back in. Costs ~£20 and takes less than 5 mins. The Mortice locks/cassettes for a wooden door can be more tricky if you cant get one that fits all the dimensions of the old cut outs perfectly. Even then though, a small bit of chiselling isn't that difficult really. I feel much safer knowing im the only one with the keys to my house to be honest. You never know who the previous owner has given a key to in the past.

potatolord · 20 Mar 2024 at 10:15

Mr Jack said:
Honestly, I wish I'd realised how incredibly cheap and easy it is to replace the cylinders on doors sooner. I'd have swapped over all the locks at each of my old houses if I'd realised what a quick and trivial job it is.

Heh, like most things you never know until you try!

The first time is fiddly, after that it's easy.

Kelt · 20 Mar 2024 at 13:33

If there's a hell, I hope it has a special place for the scum that take advantage of old, vulnerable people.

cu3ed · 20 Mar 2024 at 13:46

Kelt said:
If there's a hell, I hope it has a special place for the scum that take advantage of old, vulnerable people.

Id like to see those predatory afternoon ads aimed at Pensioners removed from TV as well personally.

arknor · 20 Mar 2024 at 16:41

Any local travellers camps nearby ?
Tell t hem your old dad got ripped off, if they wanna go and get say 1200 quid back they can keep it and give them the receipt

j.col · 20 Mar 2024 at 22:34

Kelt said:
Is BBC Watchdog still a thing?

I'd be contacting them if so.

There is a consumer show on BBC 3CR radio everyday from 10 to 11.30.
The presenter would love a case like this.

ristac · 20 Mar 2024 at 22:53

neocon said:
Does £1456 sound too much for replacing a lock that had a front door key snapped in it? I think my elderly father was scammed.

You could have had a new door supplied and fitted for that much, scandalous

jpaul · 20 Mar 2024 at 22:54

locksmith site pretty much iterates what's said above https://www.locksmiths.co.uk/faq/complaining-about-a-locksmith/

had lock gearbox go on 10yr old door which can then cause you to break a key if you are not mechanically sympathetic - but op's bill doesn't itemize that,
they are what wears on older doors.

jpaul said:
suspect it is the gearbox - especially if it occurs when door is open, such that it not misalignment causing the bolts to be tight to extend/withdraw into frame
we have some unreliability on ours for unlocking and locking, so I had specified one of these, there are few utube videos on how to change them.

413x · 21 Mar 2024 at 00:16

Scum.
Ripping off vulnerable people.
How is that company still going? Unbelievable

arknor · 21 Mar 2024 at 01:13

jpaul said:
locksmith site pretty much iterates what's said above https://www.locksmiths.co.uk/faq/complaining-about-a-locksmith/

it also says anyone can call themself a locksmith as its not regulated and you don't need to be able to pick a lock, just drill it out or say you cant do the job

Voltar · 21 Mar 2024 at 07:43

Looks like he got ripped off

Mr Jack · 21 Mar 2024 at 08:45

Am I the only one who thinks its mad that locksmiths aren't regulated?

jpaul · 21 Mar 2024 at 09:29

aforementioned MLA master locksmith association had agreed.

Jono8 · 21 Mar 2024 at 10:03

Mr Jack said:
Am I the only one who thinks its mad that locksmiths aren't regulated?

Not sure really. I guess it's because it's rarely going to cause anything dangerous. It affects security sure, but there is little you can do as a locksmith that would end up killing someone or causing extensive property/environmental/ infrastructure damage, as opposed to an electrician or gas engineer (for example).

Not sure what you'd regulate/require training for etc? It's just screwdrivers, drills and chisels mainly.

Mr Jack · 21 Mar 2024 at 10:06

Jono8 said:
Not sure really. I guess it's because it's rarely going to cause anything dangerous. It affects security sure, but there is little you can do as a locksmith that would end up killing someone or causing extensive property/environmental/ infrastructure damage, as opposed to an electrician or gas engineer (for example).

It's more of a trust thing, I'd say. These are people you're calling out in emergencies to enter your house, and/or replace the security system for your house.

arknor · 21 Mar 2024 at 11:51

Jono8 said:
Not sure really. I guess it's because it's rarely going to cause anything dangerous. It affects security sure, but there is little you can do as a locksmith that would end up killing someone or causing extensive property/environmental/ infrastructure damage, as opposed to an electrician or gas engineer (for example).

Not sure what you'd regulate/require training for etc? It's just screwdrivers, drills and chisels mainly.

it's also a profession you'd imagine is trustworthy and respectable. when in reality they seem to be dodgy Romanian firms preying on the vulnerable and desperate

TBH I was shocked to read anyone can call themself a locksmith and just start doing it with no skills needed, no regulation.

These are people who could easily keep a spare key for your house and be up to no good etc...

The blind trust they must get from people who assume they are regulated.... seems dangerous

They should at least ban anyone with a criminal record from doing the job