Attempting to pick locks without proper training often causes more damage overall. You risk breaking the lock mechanism or getting stuck key pieces inside. This creates more expensive repairs and complicates the locksmith ‘s job significantly. Unless you have professional lockpicking experience, avoid trying this method completely. Call Keyway Lock & Security instead for safe, expert assistance every time.
So, picture this: you’ve finally fought tooth and nail in a year-long battle at VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, for those who don’t speak legalese) to get your property back from some less-than-cooperative tenants. The day arrives when you can finally reclaim what’s rightfully yours, and you’re feeling like a victorious gladiator walking into the coliseum. But wait! You need to change the locks to prevent any surprise visits from your previous tenants. Enter the locksmith. Now, you might think, ‘How hard can this be? It’s just a lock, right?’ Wrong. Let me introduce you to the horror story of ‘On Call Locksmiths’.
A Reddit user, who we’ll call ‘Hope’ (because we all could use a little of that), shared a tale that will make you think twice before dialing that locksmith number. Hope had finally received a possession order after a year of hearings, and when the eviction day came, they called a locksmith that advertised a $29 call-out fee. Sounds like a steal, right? Well, buckle up, because the ride gets bumpy.
After a few hours of seemingly simple work—changing a front door lock, two sliding door locks, and screwing in a couple of screws on the garage door—Hope was slapped with a bill totaling $3,462! Yes, you read that right. That’s not just a locksmith fee; that’s a small car payment!
You might be thinking, ‘How on earth did that happen?’ Well, it turns out that the $29 fee was just a bait to lure unsuspecting customers in. Once the locksmith arrived, the price escalated faster than a toddler on a sugar high. The actual quote came from another company called ‘Services on Wheels’, which sounds more like the name of a food truck than a locksmith service.
Hope was understandably gobsmacked. I mean, if I had to cough up that kind of cash for a few locks, I’d be looking for a new profession. Maybe I’d become a locksmith myself—because apparently, you don’t even need to have a conscience to charge those kinds of rates.
So, what’s the moral of the story? Always do your homework before calling a service. Check reviews, ask for quotes upfront, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If a company is advertising suspiciously low fees, there’s likely a catch. And if a locksmith shows up with a van that looks like it’s been through a hurricane, you might want to reconsider your choices.
In the end, Hope’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for everyone. Don’t let a catchy ad or a low fee fool you into a financial pitfall. The locksmith industry can be like a game of Monopoly—one minute you’re collecting $200 for passing ‘Go’, and the next, you’re in debt and trying to trade a Get Out of Jail Free card for a lock change.
So, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need a locksmith, take your time, do your research, and maybe even get a second opinion. Because the last thing you want is to end up paying more for locks than you would for a great night out. And let’s be real, that’s just not right.
Thanks for reading, and may your locks always be affordable!
Inspired by: “DO NOT USE "On call locksmiths"” (r/melbourne)