Overcharged by a Locksmith

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612
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    edited 13 October 2016 at 8:20PM
    Emily2005 wrote: »
    However, just to clarify, we did try to remove the lock ourselves, but were afraid of breaking something and causing extensive damage somehow....which would have led to a void in our warranty (Lock was fairly new).
    This was work any jobber could have done.
    Emily2005 wrote: »
    Better be on the safe side!
    Hardly.
    By preserving this "warranty", you now have to pay out for largely unnecessary work. You weren't locked out (or in) so never needed an actual Locksmith.

    An expensive lesson..
  • unholyangel
    unholyangel Posts: 16,863
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    Emily2005 wrote: »
    Hey, thanks for your reply!
    The technician did not have to damage the lock or whatsoever to gain entry, I was there to let him into the building.
    There was no formal 'contract' per say. All we had was an initial phone call by my housemate to enquire about the service. On the phone they had mentioned the service fee of £59 + additional if new lock is required. The broken lock IS from them, however, we got a key stuck inside, hence why we called them back to assess whether it was the fault of the key or the door. Concluding that it was the fault of the key, and that the key was permanently stuck inside, he suggested replacing the entire thumb-turn lock.

    So the lock you had replaced was from them also? Did they also supply the keys? You say its still within warranty, how long ago did you purchase it from them?

    Or have I misunderstood?

    Did the guy give you anything in writing when he attended? They needed to provide certain information to you in a durable medium otherwise you technically may still be within the time period to cancel.
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
  • [Deleted User]
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    I doubt the "warranty" will cover having a key stuck in the lock. That sounds like wear and tear rather than a fault.
  • unholyangel
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    I doubt the "warranty" will cover having a key stuck in the lock. That sounds like wear and tear rather than a fault.

    Some warranties do cover the keys but not if its a copy supplied by someone else (which is why I asked if they supplied it)

    Plus theres also the possibility the key wasnt of satisfactory quality. Keys are not consumables. And imo, a key & lock thats "fairly new" (as OP put it) should have no possibility of snapping other than extra ordinary circumstances (such as forcing the key). I've never had personal experience of it happening - either to me or anyone I know - so perhaps thats colouring my view.
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
  • naedanger
    naedanger Posts: 3,102
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    edited 13 October 2016 at 11:58PM
    Emily2005 wrote: »
    There was no formal 'contract' per say. All we had was an initial phone call by my housemate to enquire about the service. On the phone they had mentioned the service fee of £59 + additional if new lock is required.

    Did the locksmith quote (in pounds) how much extra you would have to pay over the original £59 before proceeding with the work?

    If not, did he say whether the additional amount would just be for the price of a new lock, or was the additional amount to cover both the price of a new lock and its fitting? (Or put another way were you led to believe the £59 would also cover the price of fitting a new lock if it was required?)
  • Thanks all for your replies, I really appreciate your help! :)
    So the lock you had replaced was from them also? Did they also supply the keys? You say its still within warranty, how long ago did you purchase it from them?

    Or have I misunderstood?

    Did the guy give you anything in writing when he attended? They needed to provide certain information to you in a durable medium otherwise you technically may still be within the time period to cancel.
    The lock was changed perhaps 3 weeks to a month ago.
    I doubt the "warranty" will cover having a key stuck in the lock. That sounds like wear and tear rather than a fault.
    Some warranties do cover the keys but not if its a copy supplied by someone else (which is why I asked if they supplied it)

    Plus theres also the possibility the key wasnt of satisfactory quality. Keys are not consumables. And imo, a key & lock thats "fairly new" (as OP put it) should have no possibility of snapping other than extra ordinary circumstances (such as forcing the key). I've never had personal experience of it happening - either to me or anyone I know - so perhaps thats colouring my view.
    The key the was stuck was a copy of the original. The technician who came to inspect the stuck key said that they key cutting job was not done well, hence why it got stuck. The key did not break, but rather, the technician snapped it when trying to ply it out. And since we got the key cut with a separate locksmith, the warranty did not cover this.
    However, when the key first got stuck, we were unsure whether it was the fault of the key or the lock.
    naedanger wrote: »
    Did the locksmith quote (in pounds) how much extra you would have to pay over the original £59 before proceeding with the work?

    If not, did he say whether the additional amount would just be for the price of a new lock, or was the additional amount to cover both the price of a new lock and its fitting? (Or put another way were you led to believe the £59 would also cover the price of fitting a new lock if it was required?)
    No the locksmith did not quote anything else other than: £59 for service and an additional fees if new lock is required. Over the phone and in person. He did not mention anything about fitting. On my invoice it does not mention fitting either. Its just 196 for the lock.. I understood that the lock would be an additional over the £59, but no idea how much more.
    The problem here is that I was naive enough to accept the high price of the lock, because I have no previous experience whatsoever dealing with these types of situation. Now, I know how stupid I may sound admitting I accepted the price, but the real issue here is the price discrepancy when we called in and the price he charged me.
    Plus, thumb-turn locks aren't that expensive to begin with...
  • naedanger
    naedanger Posts: 3,102
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    edited 14 October 2016 at 9:36AM
    Emily2005 wrote: »
    No the locksmith did not quote anything else other than: £59 for service and an additional fees if new lock is required. Over the phone and in person ...

    The problem here is that I was naive enough to accept the high price of the lock, ...

    It is not clear to me how you accepted the price of the lock if the locksmith did not quote the price before fitting. (Your above reply seems to say (1) you were not quoted a price in advance but (2) you did accept the high price, which seems contradictory to me.)

    If you were told additional fees would be £196 for the new lock before fitting then I think you are in a weak position to dispute the bill now (especially if you were not led to believe there would be no fitting fee). You could still do so on the basis that the price of the lock was exorbitant, which you only realised later when you saw the typical price was much, much less. However as you knew the actual price, and the locksmith did not say fitting would be free, then I think you have a poor chance of winning (except perhaps on a technicality). The locksmith could rightly (I think from what I understand) claim you agreed the price in advance and it was higher than elsewhere because it included implicitly a fitting fee.

    Whereas, if you were not told the amount of the additional fee, and were led to believe the fitting was free, then I think you would have a good chance of winning in court if you disputed the bill.

    PS A newly cut copy key getting stuck in a lock will almost certainly not be the fault of the lock.

    RE-reading your reply, I think what happened was you were told there would be unspecified additional fees for the new lock but not how much or whether the fees would just be for the lock or for the lock and for fitting. If this is the scenario, then my understanding is you would have to show the actual fee of £196 was unreasonable for a locksmith to supply and fit the lock. (And I suspect the fees were not unreasonable for a locksmith. My one experience of using a locksmith was they were expensive, though I was given an accurate quote in advance.)
  • naedanger wrote: »
    It is not clear to me how you accepted the price of the lock if the locksmith did not quote the price before fitting. (Your above reply seems to say (1) you were not quoted a price in advance but (2) you did accept the high price, which seems contradictory to me.)

    If you were told additional fees would be £196 for the new lock before fitting then I think you are in a weak position to dispute the bill now (especially if you were not led to believe there would be no fitting fee). You could still do so on the basis that the price of the lock was exorbitant, which you only realised later when you saw the typical price was much, much less. However as you knew the actual price, and the locksmith did not say fitting would be free, then I think you have a poor chance of winning (except perhaps on a technicality). The locksmith could rightly (I think from what I understand) claim you agreed the price in advance and it was higher than elsewhere because it included implicitly a fitting fee.

    Whereas, if you were not told the amount of the additional fee, and were led to believe the fitting was free, then I think you would have a good chance of winning in court if you disputed the bill.

    PS A newly cut copy key getting stuck in a lock will almost certainly not be the fault of the lock.

    RE-reading your reply, I think what happened was you were told there would be unspecified additional fees for the new lock but not how much or whether the fees would just be for the lock or for the lock and for fitting. If this is the scenario, then my understanding is you would have to show the actual fee of £196 was unreasonable for a locksmith to supply and fit the lock. (And I suspect the fees were not unreasonable for a locksmith. My one experience of using a locksmith was they were expensive, though I was given an accurate quote in advance.)


    Yeah, under the Consumer Rights Act, I agreed to the price and hence the locksmith is not at fault. I understand this part. But under the Fraud Act S.3 failure to disclose information, the locksmith did not present the true prices of the locks. (In the call, max British Standard Thumb-turn is £89).
    Anyway, on the website it says "REPLACE / GAIN ENTRY TO RIM CYLINDER" for £59. I'd think the "replacement" is the fitting?
  • I don't think you should be accusing anyone of "fraud'. That's a serious crime.
  • naedanger
    naedanger Posts: 3,102
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    edited 14 October 2016 at 10:46AM
    Emily2005 wrote: »
    Yeah, under the Consumer Rights Act, I agreed to the price and hence the locksmith is not at fault. I understand this part. But under the Fraud Act S.3 failure to disclose information, the locksmith did not present the true prices of the locks. (In the call, max British Standard Thumb-turn is £89).
    Anyway, on the website it says "REPLACE / GAIN ENTRY TO RIM CYLINDER" for £59. I'd think the "replacement" is the fitting?

    I don't understand why you keep saying you agreed the price if you were not told the price in pounds in advance of fitting.
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