Locksmith advice please!!!

elle45

My neighbour came over to my house because the lock on her front door wouldn't open. She had another neighbour go over with screwdrivers to try and get it open, but it did not work. So she came over to mine and called a locksmith. It said 'No call out charge' She was told the price. £103 + vat and parts. He came out and all he did was pull the handle down and the door opened. It had obviously righted itself! He still wanted £103 + vat!! She is now refusing to pay as he did no work on it. They are still sending her the bill. What does she do...pay up or what???:(

Empty_pockets

If there is no call out charge, what is the £103 for?

From your post it seems like the guy should be paid. He did attend after all.

elle45

Well I actually think that because he did nothing then he should not get paid, after all he only lent on the handle and it did say no call out!! ( I put it in an non biased way)

ormus

pay the man. he opened your door, !!!!!!.

elle45

I am trying to get a legal opinion on here!!!! Not abuse!!!!:mad:

latecomer

Ask him what the charges are for given there was no call out and no work done.

elle45

latecomer wrote: »

Ask him what the charges are for given there was no call out and no work done.

He said that he got my neighbour in the house regardless of work done ment he needed paying.:(

ali-t

My door jammed like that earlier in the year but we were locked in (was very grateful for my back door!). The locksmith came out and pulled the handle down and it opened. He said it was something to do with the mechanism and changed the lock for me as he said it would continue to happen. I asked for the barrels to be kept the same so I didn't need to get new keys. From memory it cost around £75 but it wasn't an emergency call out or at Xmas time.

No legal advice but if all it took was the door handle to be pushed down she could ask how long his work is guaranteed for and if it goes again he has to fix it for free as it will be under guarantee.

darich

The door could not be opened so a locksmith was called.
He got the door opened (regardless of method)
He is due to be paid.

latecomer

Actually having read the OP again, did they not question why it was a "no callout charge" but £103+vat + parts. that suggests to me the call out fee is £103+vat and if its been accepted then its due to be paid.

cutandshut

I think you need to ask yourself why the Locksmith opened the door when the owner failed to? The answer is experience and that's what your paying for.
I run a mobile service (nothing to do with locks) and I don't make a call out charge. I do charge my hourly rate, though, from the time I leave home to the time I return.