any locksmiths?

[da SLUG man]

does £235.50 seem excessive for a lock replacement??

the key wouldn't work one night... called the council, they sent someone out who beat the door in (instead of drilling the lock)

then made a cr@ppy repair to the door frame and replaced the lock 2 weeks later.

labour £152.96 (the call out was midnight on a friday though)
materials £47.47 (the same lock is £13.99inc VAT from screwfix)
VAT £35.07


also any idea if the tennant has to pay for a faulty lock... it was wear and tear, just the key wouldn't work cos the internals had colapsed.


also... hehehe... anyone wanna draft a complaint letter?

(t'is for Mrs Slug)

[da SLUG man]

i'd have done it, but i was in a pub 30 miles away!

[Antshiel]

Jeeez, I would have come to you from Birmingham for that and supplied new lock. Thats just about par for the lock industry. Just because they call themselves locksmiths gives them a reason to charge thermo nuclear prices. I am a chippy by trade and can drill any standard night latch, rim lock and deadlock without damage to the door. The max i have ever charged for this is £75 this was to drill a Yale cylinder and supply and fit a new one. It really is easy but i suppose that doesn't help you now though eh. As far as who is responsible for replacement i haven't a clue. In a nutshell "you've been robbed" They can charge whatever they want because they prey on our misfortunes. Sorry dude.

[Planty]

does £235.50 seem excessive for a lock replacement??

the key wouldn't work one night... called the council, they sent someone out who beat the door in (instead of drilling the lock)

then made a cr@ppy repair to the door frame and replaced the lock 2 weeks later.

labour £152.96 (the call out was midnight on a friday though)
materials £47.47 (the same lock is £13.99inc VAT from screwfix)
VAT £35.07


also any idea if the tennant has to pay for a faulty lock... it was wear and tear, just the key wouldn't work cos the internals had colapsed.


also... hehehe... anyone wanna draft a complaint letter?

(t'is for Mrs Slug)

dude, as i'm in a very connected business (i sell window and door locks etc), here's my thoughts....... first off, was it just the cylinder that was replaced (the bit you put your key into)......??? locksmiths and window fabricators pay about 2.50 (+vat) for them, many of the repairs boys sell 1 offs for as much as 25.00. with the right tools it'd take me about 10mins to take out the old one and put a new one in......... no drilling either...!!!
you could expect about a 85.00 (+vat) call out charge.

if it was the actually doorlock itself, then depending on the lock that came out, availability etc. then it's not too bad......... but at 13.99 from screwfix sound like just the cylinder.

so, it sounds like a bad job very over priced to me.
sorry dude...........

see ya'll
Planty

[M35A2]

I locked myself out a few years ago.

Luckily, I had my Defender keys on me, so out came the hammer and screwdriver.

I just smashed the screwdriver into the cylinder and ripped it out. Went to B&Q next day and bought Cylinder for about £12.

I called a locksmith before I broke in, and he was going to charge £125. Yeah right!!!

The council might have to pay for the repair if the lock was worn out, but I doubt they will, you know what their like???

[Diezel Weazel]

If you are a Council Tenant & pay them rent they should be responsible for repairs/ upkeap of the Property & that should include a Fawlty Lock ....
Check ya Terms & Conditions of Tenancy ....Good Luck

There's always a Payback .... You just can't see it Comin !!!!

[madcampbell]

You need to look at your tenancy agreement . There is a wording called “fair tear and wear”
I had a case were the taps broke in the flat I was renting and the land lady tried to charge me for the cost of repairs to the taps at the end of my rental period and other things to retain the deposit.. She lost hands down. If you need I will send you my paper work.

How long have you rented your house…? 10 yrs
Did you do any deliberate damage to the door? NO
If it had been a washing machine then they would have to prove you damaged it..

Then why are you paying for the maintenance to the front door lock “fair tear and wear”
It’s not your fault it failed at midnight …
Mark

[da SLUG man]

it WAS only the cylinder that was faulty... the key wouldn't go in.

the bloke tried to gemmy it out and then gemmy'd the door open.

so, by then, it needed new cylinder, new lock (the bit inside the door) and back plate. and repair to the frame where it broke in 2 places (repaired with 2x 6" pieces of 2x1 wood)

screwfix do the whole lock, cylinder and latch mechanism etc. for £13.99 INC VAT... even doubled up, i can't see where they get £45.


i was a bit pi$$ed off at the time cos he opened it and then left it for 2 weeks until they could be arsed to come back and fit the new one!

[madcampbell]

edited my bit above...

you still need to go back to the council and state your case

even if lock smith was an arse

[Sancho]

If the lock had just worn out, which they do, it's fair wear and tear and is the Council's cost. Any damage their operatives do and subsequently have to repair is also their problem.

Just tell them to get fcuked and refuse to pay. The worst they can do is take you to court for the money and then you have to pay them 3p a week for the next hundred years or something.