Athos
Well-Known Member
I thought you paid in advance?
Please help me Urban! Wildly overpriced charge, trying to get it reduced.
- Thread starter story
- Start date
story
Changing the facts
The original phone call was at 5:30. They said it was £50 for the call out. That’s why I was so relieved and agreed to engage their services.
That‘s obviously the bait, the extras come afterwards.
story
Changing the facts
No.
I was away from my house, the neighbour was dealing with it. They drilled out the lock. Then phoned me to ask IF I wanted a new lock installed. Quoted me three options, I went for the cheapest option which I HEARD as £65.
I authorised my neighbour to go ahead….
OH FuCK!
Wiriting this out has made me realise I’ve raised a dispute for when I paid my neighbour back….
Just now calling the bank to cancel the dispute.
I hate how my brain has deteriorated. I used to be good at this stuff
Athos
Well-Known Member
You originally said 1800, which is typically when 'out of hours' starts. But it's academic, since they're gonna waive it.
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story
Changing the facts
Anyway the point here is that they would have left the flat unlocked and insecure had I not paid them.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
I had a couple of decades deciphering the generally appalling handwriting of doctors, but the scrawl above defeats me.
story
Changing the facts
The original call was at. 5:30. They took the call and said the locksmith would call me back. Which he did at 6:00
Athos
Well-Known Member
Ah, I see, now. The neighbour paid; it was more than you'd anticipated; you've paid the neighbour back; you're looking for a refund. Honestly, I think it'll be a real uphill battle; I'd put it down to experience.
story
Changing the facts
I‘m not looking for a full refund. I engaged their services and they did the job.
I‘m saying that the charge was extortionate and I think they should refund a portion of the charge.
I hear what you’re saying and I also hold out little hope.
Personal info edited out.
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Athos
Well-Known Member
If you did mishear the cost of the lock, it could've been 50+165+as much as 200=415, which plus VAT at 20% would be £498. Which is actually more than they're saying, now, given they've waived the call out. You can try to push for a bit more of a refund, but, ultimately, other than appealing to their better nature, you don't have much leverage, sadly.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
The only occasion I've had to call out a locksmith was when a very thin key broke in the lock.
Guy turned up, used two fine tools to pull out the broken key, took 30 seconds, charged me £75.00 and went on his way.
If I had my time again I'd be a sparky, a heating engineer or a locksmith.
Guy turned up, used two fine tools to pull out the broken key, took 30 seconds, charged me £75.00 and went on his way.
If I had my time again I'd be a sparky, a heating engineer or a locksmith.
story
Changing the facts
I know you’re trying to help and I appreciate the time you’re putting in here but this is not accurate.
They did not quote the labour at this rate.
I was shocked by the final cost.
The neighbour was ALSO shocked at the final charge.
story
Changing the facts
Athos
Well-Known Member
That was the upper figure in your post!
electroplated
off minehead
I recently had to get an emergency locksmith on a couple of occasions at an office building I manage.
First one was a similar £50 call out + £125 to drill the lock (they didn't even try picking it, just turned up and reached for the drill) - I was really annoyed as I could have drilled it myself if I'd been present but was on the other side of town and thought they would have been able to get the existing key to work as the lock was just a bit stuck. I refused the offer of an overpriced replacement lock (£180ish) and bought one for £20 and replaced it myself.
The second one was an interior door lock (bathroom) and someone was locked inside around midnight - again I wasn't present but there was a £150ish charge to drill out the lock and free them. No replacement lock here either.
I'd say the locksmith is definitely charging on the high side, for the parts and especially the labour for installing the replacement lock which is usually v simple and quick in my limited experience.
First one was a similar £50 call out + £125 to drill the lock (they didn't even try picking it, just turned up and reached for the drill) - I was really annoyed as I could have drilled it myself if I'd been present but was on the other side of town and thought they would have been able to get the existing key to work as the lock was just a bit stuck. I refused the offer of an overpriced replacement lock (£180ish) and bought one for £20 and replaced it myself.
The second one was an interior door lock (bathroom) and someone was locked inside around midnight - again I wasn't present but there was a £150ish charge to drill out the lock and free them. No replacement lock here either.
I'd say the locksmith is definitely charging on the high side, for the parts and especially the labour for installing the replacement lock which is usually v simple and quick in my limited experience.
story
Changing the facts
Okay so I’m being the idiot here.
story
Changing the facts
If I hadn’t been obliged to be elsewhere at the time I would have done any number of things other than call out a locksmith
story
Changing the facts
It’s probably a huge overcharge cos this Andrew Rosu person is charging his army of locksmiths a huge “agency” type fee
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
It was more an observation that £75.00 for thirty seconds work was more than a tad outrageous. Hence my comment about lucrative employments.
bellaozzydog
rolling turds in glitter
My locksmith comes around changes all the front and back locks on the house and charges me 90 quid
And he gives me the barrels and keys back so next time I need them changing I just swap the old ones back in
I’d tell this thieving chancer to fuck right off
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
story, I've just spoken to a mate that's high up in the Master Locksmiths Association, they have been lobbying the government to regulate the sector for some years, so I would always look to use a MLA member myself - too late in this case, but worth everyone remembering for the future.
As soon as I mentioned what you had been charged & that you are in London, he said straight off "you're are going to tell me it's 'My London Locksmiths' aren't you?", apparently they are well known to the MLA as rip-off merchants, and are used as their main example of why the sector needs to be regulated when lobbying government.
He said in London, just out of hours, he would expect a MLA member to charge double the daytime call-out charge, so £75x2 = £150, which would cover the time on the job too, plus the cost of the lock, somewhere between £25-£50 absolute maximum, so total £200 + Vat = £240.
He begs you to complain to Trading Standards, the MLA want as many people as possible to complain about dodgy locksmiths, as it will help the MLA lobbying efforts.
He agreed with me that it's possible a demand for a 50% refund under threat of County Court action is probably the only option open to you, the threat itself could work, if not, personally I would gamble the £35 charge to issue a CC summon via Money Claim Online - IME, out of 6 summons I've issued over the years none were contested, 5 were pay straight away or when default judgement was made.
The other was totally ignored, but as it was over £600 I could escalate it to the High Court, so I had High Court Enforcement Officers clamp his company car until he paid up, cheeky fucker called me a few months later wanting me to do more work for him, my reply involved two words, and the second one was 'off'.
As soon as I mentioned what you had been charged & that you are in London, he said straight off "you're are going to tell me it's 'My London Locksmiths' aren't you?", apparently they are well known to the MLA as rip-off merchants, and are used as their main example of why the sector needs to be regulated when lobbying government.
He said in London, just out of hours, he would expect a MLA member to charge double the daytime call-out charge, so £75x2 = £150, which would cover the time on the job too, plus the cost of the lock, somewhere between £25-£50 absolute maximum, so total £200 + Vat = £240.
He begs you to complain to Trading Standards, the MLA want as many people as possible to complain about dodgy locksmiths, as it will help the MLA lobbying efforts.
He agreed with me that it's possible a demand for a 50% refund under threat of County Court action is probably the only option open to you, the threat itself could work, if not, personally I would gamble the £35 charge to issue a CC summon via Money Claim Online - IME, out of 6 summons I've issued over the years none were contested, 5 were pay straight away or when default judgement was made.
The other was totally ignored, but as it was over £600 I could escalate it to the High Court, so I had High Court Enforcement Officers clamp his company car until he paid up, cheeky fucker called me a few months later wanting me to do more work for him, my reply involved two words, and the second one was 'off'.
Athos
Well-Known Member
I don't think you've been an idiot. I just think you've paid over the odds, with very little you can do about it that doesn't involve further expense and/or grief. If it was me, I'd push for a bit more off - maybe ask for another 100, in the hope of getting another 50 - but, if not, take it on the chin.
maomao
普費斯
And as you have a home address send him a turd in the post.
Or do cupid stunts stuff if you have the energy. And send him a turd in the post.
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
Many years ago, when CB radio was a big thing & still illegal, one GPO engineer was a bit too keen on busting home based CBers, so one smashed his living room window with half a paving slab.
The next day, various CBers were using call-signs like 'half a paving slab', 'flying paving slab', 'I want my paving slab back', etc.
Whilst I didn't approve of the action, someone could have been seriously injured, the chaos on air the next day was funny as fuck.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
Yup, I had to get an emergency lock done, drilled out and replaced (and he had to climb over a fence to get to it) and it was definitely significantly less than £200. Central London too, and about four years ago. This really isn't a normal charge and it's a bit weird that anyone's justifying it.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
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
Looks like opening the door and installing the new lock are two separate labour charges. Not how I'd run a business but there it is.
story
Changing the facts
Thanks for this cupid_stunt
I‘m minded to write out some version of this and send it to Mr Andrew Rosu as a first step.
50 quid just feels derisory. And actually a bit stupid of him. Had he offered me 100 I might have felt grateful and accepted his “kind and generous offer”
