SPECIAL FEATURE
Research Reveals Surge in Rogue Locksmiths
» THE MASTER LOCKSMITHS Association ( MLA ) has issued a stark warning after worrying new statistics reveal the extent of the problem which looks set to worsen as the pandemic continues . In a survey of its members , 66 % have been called to a job after homeowners have inadvertently called out a rogue locksmith over the past 12 months . Collectively , respondents have attended more than 300 botched jobs involving a rogue locksmith over the last year and 65 % of respondents said rogues are overcharging customers by £ 200 or more .
The MLA has also been contacted upwards of 500 times in the last 12 months with stories about people masquerading as locksmiths . With unemployment rates rising after companies cut thousands of jobs as Covid-19 continues to hit the economy , the MLA is predicting an upturn in unscrupulous activity in the industry .
Steffan George , managing director of the MLA , said : “ The industry is unregulated so it ’ s easy to set up as a locksmith with no training , experience or insurance . Experience tells us that at best , rogues are going to do a sub-standard job or overcharge after initially quoting a cheaper price in a tactic known as baitand-switch , sometimes ultimately charging ten times that of an inspected locksmith , or at worse , display threatening behaviour or withhold keys to locks they ’ ve just fitted .”
A third of respondents said the most important thing people should look out for when they select a professional in the trade are calls that are answered by a locksmith , not diverted to a call centre in which details about the locksmith who is doing the job can ’ t be provided or are difficult to obtain . In addition , tradesmen should be happy to talk about previous jobs and experience as well as provide photographs and recommendations .
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Lily ’ s story
( her name has been changed )
» LILY A 24-YEAR-OLD FINANCE COMPANY project manager living in London , returned home to her apartment around 11.30pm after meeting friends for dinner . She unlocked her door , but the latch wouldn ’ t open . She did an online search for an emergency locksmith , avoided calling the cheapest ones , and opted for one with a price list . In hindsight she says these prices were “ complete fiction ”.
A locksmith sent out a subcontractor . The tradesman , who wasn ’ t wearing any branded clothing , turned up around 30 minutes later . Before he started , Lily asked how much the job would cost and was told £ 200 . The tradesman repeatedly told Lily that that he ’ d attended lots of jobs like this and that her landlord would pay her back as the lock is faulty . The job only took around 30 minutes . The tradesman spent a long time writing out the invoice before he presented Lily with a bill for £ 1465 .
Lily questioned why he was charging so much – he said it was down to an emergency-call out in the middle of the night . He once again said : “ I 100 % guarantee your landlord will pay ”. Lily paid and regretted it pretty much instantly . When she woke the next day , she couldn ’ t forget about how much she ’ d been charged .
On investigating , Lily quickly learnt there ’ s no Government body within the industry thanks to an article she found on the Master Locksmiths Association website . She got in touch with an approved MLA member who told her how much the job should ’ ve cost , which was between £ 250- £ 350 . Lily also unearthed lots of negative reviews on Trustpilot about the same company .
She got in touch with the company - they washed their hands of it and said that as the job had been carried out by a sub-contractor , she ’ d have to take her complaint up with them . She emailed and called them , but they didn ’ t respond . She called the tradesman direct , but he didn ’ t answer .
Lily approached Citizens Advice for help . They provided her with a template letter , so she got back in touch with the company that had invoiced her and threatened to report them to Trading Standards . They initially offered her a partial refund of £ 80 + VAT , which Lily refused , so they increased the offer to £ 125 + VAT . Lily is still awaiting the refund . She admits it ’ s a negligible amount – she doesn ’ t even know how they ’ ve arrived at the figure as it doesn ’ t relate to anything on the invoice – but she has reluctantly accepted to get at least something back and for closure on the matter .
74
NOV / DEC 2020
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