Please help me Urban! Wildly overpriced charge, trying to get it reduced.
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story
Changing the facts
Thank you for saying this.
I was feeling tricked and coerced, and then mad for thinking /feeling so.
Nah, it’s a ripoff. Coincidentally it was on Rip Off Britain last week. No use now but they recommended going through the master locksmith association.
Further reading:
BBC Rip Off Britain - Locksmith Episode featuring Master Locksmiths Association (MLA)
You may have heard about Rogue Locksmiths in the BBC's Rip Off Britain featuring the Master Locksmiths Association. We have some helpful tips to stay safe and not be overcharged.
story
Changing the facts
At this point I’m willing to forfeit the insulting offer of fifty quid.
This is my first draft.
Dear Mr Rosu,
While I’m grateful for the attention you’ve given my query, I am not happy with the offer you have made.
After receiving your last email I made enquiries and, with the help and advice of associates, I have discovered that your company is well known in the trade, and to the Master Locksmiths Association, for poor practice and for overcharging.
The MLA have been lobbying government to regulate the industry, and they use your company My London Locksmith as the main example of why regulation is necessary. The phrase I was given is that you are “rip-off merchants”.
I am reliably informed that a reasonable charge for my job by a member of the MLA would be 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. This is less than half of what you charged me.
I accept that I made a bad choice and poor decision when engaging your company to do this work. I also acknowledge the £50 refund you offered.
However, in light of this absurd overcharge, your offer strikes me as derisory, even insulting.
I am going to make an official complaint about your company to the MLA. I realise that you are not a member but every complaint strengthens their case for regulation.
I am also going to write to Trading Standards. You & Yours, and other consumer rights advocates.
I am advised to make a demand for a 50% refund under threat of County Court action and I intend to pursue this option.
I am angry that my plight was used by you to lever hard cash from me. I will make sure to use every possible opportunity to inform people not to use your company.
This is my first draft.
Dear Mr Rosu,
While I’m grateful for the attention you’ve given my query, I am not happy with the offer you have made.
After receiving your last email I made enquiries and, with the help and advice of associates, I have discovered that your company is well known in the trade, and to the Master Locksmiths Association, for poor practice and for overcharging.
The MLA have been lobbying government to regulate the industry, and they use your company My London Locksmith as the main example of why regulation is necessary. The phrase I was given is that you are “rip-off merchants”.
I am reliably informed that a reasonable charge for my job by a member of the MLA would be 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. This is less than half of what you charged me.
I accept that I made a bad choice and poor decision when engaging your company to do this work. I also acknowledge the £50 refund you offered.
However, in light of this absurd overcharge, your offer strikes me as derisory, even insulting.
I am going to make an official complaint about your company to the MLA. I realise that you are not a member but every complaint strengthens their case for regulation.
I am also going to write to Trading Standards. You & Yours, and other consumer rights advocates.
I am advised to make a demand for a 50% refund under threat of County Court action and I intend to pursue this option.
I am angry that my plight was used by you to lever hard cash from me. I will make sure to use every possible opportunity to inform people not to use your company.
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story
Changing the facts
Nah, it’s a ripoff. Coincidentally it was on Rip Off Britain last week. No use now but they recommended going through the master locksmith association.
Further reading:
BBC Rip Off Britain - Locksmith Episode featuring Master Locksmiths Association (MLA)
You may have heard about Rogue Locksmiths in the BBC's Rip Off Britain featuring the Master Locksmiths Association. We have some helpful tips to stay safe and not be overcharged.www.locksmiths.co.uk
I feel so dumb that I even considered using this company.
But this is how it happens. I was strapped for time and in need of help swiftly.
Lesson: even when a friend offers a number, do your own fucking research!
fucking parasites
My neighbour passed on the number to me, tell me it was for Fortress, who are our local locksmith. I blithely went on believing this right through til the next day,.
It was an honest mistake on her part, but I’ve no idea where the original mix up happened.
ETA
I guess the fact that they were on the show is further grist for my own complaint.
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I would have probably done what they said not to do and went for the first local one I found; it’s a panic situation and you don’t expect to be fleeced. Pure coincidence I saw it on my break at work last week.
story
Changing the facts
Had I been entirely on my own and not rushing to be elsewhere, I would have looked up the number for Fortress, who are local.
Fortress Lock & Safe | The burglar prevention specialists
We offer a service which includes the supplying or supplying and fitting of all locks, doors, frames, safes, grilles, panic hardware, alarms, access control, CCTV and PIR lights. No job is either too big or too small.
www.fortresslock.co.uk
My neighbour, who is a good kind decent person, said “ I have Fortress’ number here, I’ll text it to you right now“. The intention was to save me the trouble of looking it up.
She is decent, I trust her.
It would have been a bit odd to say “Nah, I’ll look it up myself thanks” while she was actively in the process of helping me and also offering to be available for the locksmith so that I could go out and meet my friends who were over from Europe.
It was the whole thing of my friends making time for me on their short visit, and buying me the ticket for the show, and needing to meet them in an hour, an hour away, that made the whole thing so rushed.
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circleline
Well-Known Member
Yes, nobody ever told us at school to train to be a locksmith, cos they are fucking minted; but it's true..
maomao
普費斯
Plus, even if you go out of business it comes in useful for burgling houses.
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
She could have been scammed by the company you ended up with buying Google AdWords to come top in a search:
Elpenor
a clown’s heart and a mandolin
That was what I thought too
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
This really. A few years back was tangentially involved in a fair few call outs of lock smiths, glaziers and similar and the prices then were eye watering. This doesn’t seem like an outlier sadly.
I guess they would argue that you are t just paying for the service you are paying for that capacity and capability to be available in your city or town when you need it. And of course most of their trade is commercial and/or insurance related.
I’d often advise that a Premier Inn for the night was less than a locksmith call out.
Sorry to be negative.
story
Changing the facts
Wankers
So they’re actually spending money on being the hit above the local proper locksmith.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
Is it too naive of me to think that there might be some kind of ombudsman for this sort of thing?
story
Changing the facts
Not for locksmiths in particular, I checked.
This page gives advice about what to do. And I’m going to do it.
Complaints about a locksmith - What to do (Overcharged?)
Do you think a locksmith has overcharged you? or you feel ripped off? Find out what you can next to help get a refund.
www.locksmiths.co.uk
story
Changing the facts
I guess it’s not an outlier insomuch as many many people get ripped off in exactly this way.
The cost I was charged is definitely too much though.
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
I’m wouldn’t disagree.
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
Yes. Fortress could have a cause of action against them, and possibly get Google to take it down.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
Nah, it is way more than I've ever paid, in central London, and much more than other sites quote. They are an outlier, just one that manages to snare multiple people.
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
I've noticed how many trades pay above to get to be the top google return
I dont think you've been naive story
You thought you were with a trusted local service
Unfortunately we all get ripped off at some point because it's easy to happen
I'm sorry that your unfortunate experience is going to help many of us reading this thread. Next time I need a locksmith I'm going to be able to avoid unscrupulous people because I'll know what I've learned here
Hope you get an outcome you can live with
I dont think you've been naive story
You thought you were with a trusted local service
Unfortunately we all get ripped off at some point because it's easy to happen
I'm sorry that your unfortunate experience is going to help many of us reading this thread. Next time I need a locksmith I'm going to be able to avoid unscrupulous people because I'll know what I've learned here
Hope you get an outcome you can live with
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
You're not going mad. You've totally been ripped off and then gaslighted. Sorry.
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
Thought I'd lost my keys at a festival this summer. Asked on Facebook for locksmith recommendations. Friend who lived in central Manchester suggested one, so I gave them a call. They were right on the other side of Manchester. I was living in South Manchester at the time. This was about 3.30-4pm iirc, and they said that by the time they came across it would be an 'out of hours' service. Also quoted me straight away for drilling out the lock. I think they quoted £170-180 or something like that.
I said I'd leave it and try to find someone closer who wouldn't be charging me for an out of hours service in the afternoon.
I Googled and found someone closer. He was on a job and came straight to mine after. I did ask him though, if he would try to pick the lock first or if he would drill it out. (Being privately rented, I wanted to avoid that if I could.)
He tried my main front door, wasn't happening, then had a go at the side door, which he opened fairly quickly. So I wasn't charged for drilling/replacing lock and for the replacement lock. He charged about £70 iirc, although I gave him a tip on top, for turning up so quickly, for trying to pick the lock first instead of opting to drill, and for not trying to rip me off in the first instance.
I said I'd leave it and try to find someone closer who wouldn't be charging me for an out of hours service in the afternoon.
I Googled and found someone closer. He was on a job and came straight to mine after. I did ask him though, if he would try to pick the lock first or if he would drill it out. (Being privately rented, I wanted to avoid that if I could.)
He tried my main front door, wasn't happening, then had a go at the side door, which he opened fairly quickly. So I wasn't charged for drilling/replacing lock and for the replacement lock. He charged about £70 iirc, although I gave him a tip on top, for turning up so quickly, for trying to pick the lock first instead of opting to drill, and for not trying to rip me off in the first instance.
muscovyduck
Good IT skills and food hygiene competent
I know this is useless to you as the OP story but for people reading this wanting to know how to stop this happening to them:
Ask around about locksmiths before you need one. Ask around friends and work colleagues in your suburb and even in neighbouring suburbs next time you get a chance. When you're out and about, look out for vans that advertise they're locksmiths. If you get recommendations, save their contact details.
Checkatrade also seem to do locksmiths, although I wouldn't take not being on checkatrade as a signal they're not legit. AFAIK checkatrade charge businesses to be listed and it doesn't always make monetary sense for businesses already generating enough leads to sign up
Ask around about locksmiths before you need one. Ask around friends and work colleagues in your suburb and even in neighbouring suburbs next time you get a chance. When you're out and about, look out for vans that advertise they're locksmiths. If you get recommendations, save their contact details.
Checkatrade also seem to do locksmiths, although I wouldn't take not being on checkatrade as a signal they're not legit. AFAIK checkatrade charge businesses to be listed and it doesn't always make monetary sense for businesses already generating enough leads to sign up
