Please help me Urban! Wildly overpriced charge, trying to get it reduced.

[story]

This is an issue with the bill for an emergency locksmith.

So I got locked out. I tried to break in but couldn’t do so without breaking stuff. Spare key was indoors because reasons.

I also couldn’t hang around, had to be elsewhere for the evening for unavoidable reasons.

So my lovely neighbours stepped in to help by being available for the locksmith.

Locksmith then phoned me a couple of times for permission to break in, and replace the lock.

All good.

But the charge has somehow escalated to £532.80


I‘ve asked for a breakdown and they’ve offered me a £50 discount.


I know emergency locksmiths cost a lot but this seems really steep.

The call out was at 6:00 pm



So my questions are:

When you had to pay for an emergency locksmith how much did they charge you?

Is this a reasonable charge?

Should I take the £50 or pursue them for a larger discount?

I’ll post the invoice and their email offer after this.


Thank you Urban x

 

[story]

The almost indecipherable invoice










My neighbour gave me the number for this locksmith. She thought, and I trusted, that it was the number for Fortress on Brixton Hill. Neither of us realised it wasn’t them til much later.

 

[story]

This is the most recent reply I’ve had.
My bits querying each charge are in bold.
Their reply is under each part .






Hello,

Thank you for your email.

Please do let clear up the misunderstanding.

We understand your concern regarding the prices, but please keep in mind that we operate as an emergency at your-door service, and our prices might be higher than others, we do not sell locks at retail prices and we are not a retail shop. Please visit our Price List and let us know if you see any discrepancy between the amount that you have been charged and the price displayed on our website.

£50 call out charge
I think the call out charge is reasonable. However, I must point out that many tradespeople waive such charges if the work will be expensive. I realise not everyone does this, and it’s clear that you do not.

Please keep in mind that our Call Out Charge depends on the hour/holiday/weekend and the emergency, therefore, it is subjective.

£130 to open the door
Drilling a lock is not a major job and can be done in a matter of a few minutes. I do not understand how this charge is justified. My lock was not a complicated one.

The charge for a simple opening is £50 if lock picking is applicable, but when drilling the lock is the only option, the price is higher. Our engineer informed you that a simple opening wasn't applicable and drilling the lock was the only option to open the door and you decided to proceed with the work. Our operatives cannot provide a flat price from the office, only the locksmith himself can after he assesses the situation.

£99 labour
This seems reasonable to me. However, it does call into question the charge for opening the door (above) and fixing a new lock (below). Why is labour charged on top of these two very high costs?

The labor charge represents the technician's work for installing the new lock.

£165 new security lock
This makes no sense to me. The locksmith phoned me and quoted me three options for replacement locks. I went for the cheapest option, and I am pretty certain he said it would be £65, not £165. Please explain this charge to me. The lock is not worth this amount of money. The labour involved with putting it in cannot be extra to the £99 already charged.

By the process of drilling the old lock was damaged and a new lock was installed by our engineer, in order to secure the premises. Additionally, we would like to inform you that emergency door opening and lock changing are two different services, they are charged separately and you had the liberty to refuse the new locking system.

Nevertheless, we understand your concerns, and as our main priority is to keep our customers happy and we are willing to refund you the £50 Call Out fee. Please attach your bank details (account holder, sort code, account number) and we will gladly process the refund.

Yours Sincerely,
Adrian Rosu
(Manager)

 

[story]

And here is the link to their price list.

I can’t see any glaring discrepancies but I still think it’s an outrageous charge. I feel like I was held to ransom.

If anyone else can spit a doscrp that would be helpful! (My brain doesn’t work as it should, especially with this kind of stuff.)

Prices - 24/7 London Locksmith

London Locksmith Service Prices Some of the most frequently requested services are listed down below. These are the situations that require our attention most on a daily basis. Our professional locksmith team specializes not only in these simple jobs, but all types of locksmith activities...

mylondonlocksmiths.co.uk

 

[alex_]

How much should the parts have cost ?

Is the lock an expensive lock which should have cost 165 quid ?

 

[story]

How much should the parts have cost ?

Is the lock an expensive lock which should have cost 165 quid ?

I asked for the cheapest option. I thought he said £66 on the phone which seemed really fucking expensive for a basic Yale lock but accept3d that I was paying for an emergency service. Maybe he said £166 and swallowed the “hundred“ but of what he was saying.

 

[scifisam]

It seems to be four times higher than the most expensive estimate online. Usually it's an hourly rate plus the cost of the materials and maybe a call out fee on top. He's charged more for the lock itself than any that appear to be on sale anywhere, and then charged very high rates for specific services rather than an hourly rate. It is taking the piss.

Locksmith Prices & Cost Estimates in the UK 2023 - The NGCL

Our pricing guide for 2021 allows you to understand what you can expect to pay for each job and Locksmith prices.

www.thengcl.co.uk

 

[story]

I confess that I’ve been stalling on this for a week or two.

I used to be really good at dealing with this stuff but for various reasons ( not go to outline them here) my brain just isn’t as functional as it used to be.

So rather than just letting this fester I thought I’d come and ask Urban for help.

 

[klang]

fwiw - the front lock of my old flat jammed just after I'd moved in, leaving me unable to leave or enter the premises. Landlord called the emergency locksmith, and they talked me through every step and pricing (through the jammed door) before proceeding. Landlord ok'd everything via the phone. Whole procedure took under 10 mins and cost well north of 400 pounds. I found it very steep, but didn't question things as landlord was paying.

 

[cupid_stunt]

When you had to pay for an emergency locksmith how much did they charge you?

£70 inc. VAT.

Check HERE.

You may find a lot of locksmiths will offer no call out charge fee when hiring a locksmith within normal working hours, the same with 24-hour locksmiths

The only price you should pay will be the locksmiths hourly labour rate plus prices of parts on top of this.

An example would be a £65 fee that includes first hours labour, then a reduced hourly rate for further hours e.g £55 for 2nd hour on site.

Important: It’s worth noting that the fee may be fixed and will be charged even if the locksmith is on site for less than 1 hour.

They are taking the piss, tell them to do one.

 

[story]

It seems to be four times higher than the most expensive estimate online. Usually it's an hourly rate plus the cost of the materials and maybe a call out fee on top. He's charged more for the lock itself than any that appear to be on sale anywhere, and then charged very high rates for specific services rather than an hourly rate. It is taking the piss.

Locksmith Prices & Cost Estimates in the UK 2023 - The NGCL

Our pricing guide for 2021 allows you to understand what you can expect to pay for each job and Locksmith prices.

www.thengcl.co.uk

Thank you!

Thats what I thought. Thank you for supporting my own sense of this.

 

[story]

£70 inc. VAT.

Check HERE.



They are taking the piss, tell them to do one.

I can’t. They have my money, they wouldn’t do the work before I paid.

I‘m asking for a refund. I need to know my situation before try to sort it out with ?? small claims or something

 

[Ted Striker]

Ask for model numbers if anything ordered (to compare to online prices) and duration of labour (inc travel, to compare to a reasonable day rate of £2-300). Hassle/Emergency/Out-of-hours fees should be distinct and separate.

 

[planetgeli]

Pessimist here but that's not far north of what I thought they charged. Gfs sister in Barcelona had a similar thing recently and that was 400 euro.

 

[kalidarkone]

This is an issue with the bill for an emergency locksmith.

So I got locked out. I tried to break in but couldn’t do so without breaking stuff. Spare key was indoors because reasons.

I also couldn’t hang around, had to be elsewhere for the evening for unavoidable reasons.

So my lovely neighbours stepped in to help by being available for the locksmith.

Locksmith then phoned me a couple of times for permission to break in, and replace the lock.

All good.

But the charge has somehow escalated to £532.80


I‘ve asked for a breakdown and they’ve offered me a £50 discount.


I know emergency locksmiths cost a lot but this seems really steep.

The call out was at 6:00 pm



So my questions are:

When you had to pay for an emergency locksmith how much did they charge you?

Is this a reasonable charge?

Should I take the £50 or pursue them for a larger discount?

I’ll post the invoice and their email offer after this.


Thank you Urban x

I had to have an emergency lock Smith because I got mugged and he got my house keys and car keys. I remember it costing a good few hundred quid for the front door and the same for the car and this was 15 years + ago and in Bristol so the price you have quoted is what I'd expect.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I can’t. They have my money, they wouldn’t do the work before I paid.

I‘m asking for a refund. I need to know my situation before try to sort it out with ?? small claims or something

Oh, sorry I missed that you had already paid.

I was going to suggest calling whatever trade association they are members of, such as the society of master locksmiths, but they don't appear to be a member of any, from what I can see from their website.

And, they have a rating of only 1.4 on trust pilot, with people calling them out as cowboys and con artists.

Sadly, I think you have made an expensive mistake and been scammed, maybe CAB or trading standards can advise you.

Or, try to raise a charge-back via your bank.

 

[Athos]

I get your frustration, but for an emergency call out, outside of normal hours, to secure entry then supply and fit new locks, I'd have guessed about that. And, if you agreed to the price beforehand, I can't see you have a leg to stand on, now.

 

[platinumsage]

Breaking in by smashing stuff or staying in a hotel are often cheaper options than calling an emergency locksmith out-of-hours.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Yours Sincerely,
Adrian Rosu
(Manager)

BTW, he's not the manager, he's the sole director of LOCK SERVICES LONDON LIMITED, which is registered at a residential address, and he lists his occupation as an IT Marketeer, not a locksmith.

I am guessing he just sub-contracts out, and adds a massive fee on top.

 

[twistedAM]

You're right. The money to open the door and the labour charge are essentially the same thing. They've charged you twice.
Unfortunately a good argument doesn't guarantee a refund

 

[Athos]

You're right. The money to open the door and the labour charge are essentially the same thing. They've charged you twice.
Unfortunately a good argument doesn't guarantee a refund

They're two separate fees. One is the labour to unlock the door, and the other is the labour to install a new lock.

 

[moochedit]

I had to call one out about 2 years ago. I can't remember the price but i'm pretty sure it wasn't that much.

 

[story]

Okay.

So I’ve phoned my bank and they have agreed to raise it as a retail dispute.

I‘ll fill in the form and see where it gets me.

If nothing else it gives me a bit of leverage with the locksmith.


With the other points raised here perhaps I’ll get some money back.

 

[story]

I had to call one out about 2 years ago. I can't remember the price but i'm pretty sure it wasn't that much.

My mother got locked out of her holiday let a couple of years ago and I KNOW it wasn’t this much.

 

[story]

They're two separate fees. One is the labour to unlock the door, and the other is the labour to install a new lock.

I definitely was not quoted this on the night.

I was told
Call out
Cost of lock
Labour

No mention of double bubble on the labour

 

[story]

BTW, he's not the manager, he's the sole director of LOCK SERVICES LONDON LIMITED, which is registered at a residential address, and he lists his occupation as an IT Marketeer, not a locksmith.

I am guessing he just sub-contracts out, and adds a massive fee on top.

Maybe I’ll publicly shame him on the interwebs.

Or sign him up for endless spam and door to door sales.

Call You & Yours

 

[story]

Breaking in by smashing stuff or staying in a hotel are often cheaper options than calling an emergency locksmith out-of-hours.

So the Reasons I mentioned in the OP meant I couldn’t break in or be local without involving yet more drama and difficulties.

Otherwise I would have just broken a window.

 

[Athos]

I definitely was not quoted this on the night.

I was told
Call out
Cost of lock
Labour

No mention of double bubble on the labour

It's not 'double bubble'. It's just a breakdown of the labour. They could just as easily have said "labour to gain entry and fit new lock £229" to cover both tasks!

 

[story]

I get your frustration, but for an emergency call out, outside of normal hours, to secure entry then supply and fit new locks, I'd have guessed about that. And, if you agreed to the price beforehand, I can't see you have a leg to stand on, now.

I didnt agree to this price before hand. That’s the issue.

I agreed to the call out, the (possibly misheard) hiked cost of the lock at what I (mis) heard , and labour to do it.

50 + 65 + somewhere between 100-200

 

[story]

It's not 'double bubble'. It's just a breakdown of the labour. They could just as easily have said "labour to gain entry and fit new lock £229" to cover both tasks!

They could say 45,000 for labour and break it down.

Point is they didn’t quote me anything near what the final cost was