If you are looking for a locksmith in Auckland, be careful: a Auckland based locksmith company who has been exposed before, are back in action doing poor work on people’s properties, and demanding outrageous payments for it.
One of the most recently disappointed customers was Newshub entertainment editor Daniel Rutledge. He needed work done to some doors of his home, did a Google search and chose one of the top results. He thought as it was at the top of the results, it would be a reliable company.
Two men turned up late, in an unmarked vehicle, without identification and refused to give a quote.
After they worked through the whole day, coming and going for parts, Rutledge said he was left with a big hole in the front door, stuffed with cotton wool, and a lot of scratches and drill holes where they had been hacking at the lock.
Invoice Issues
“I was pretty unhappy with that and wondered when they were coming back, then that night I got an invoice from them and it was for $1,437, which seemed like an outlandishly large fee,” Rutledge says.
“I started looking through the invoice and it had some very unusual things, such as charging for ‘installation’ as well as ‘labour’, which seems like it should be the same thing.”
Rubbish from the parts had been left behind and looking one up, it’s quickly found at Bunnings for $8.99. None of the parts on the invoice cost less than $89, and there were more parts on the invoice than what was in fact used.
The invoice sent to Daniel Rutledge was by Local Locksmith 24/7. The next day, Rutledge went to legitimate Auckland locksmiths LockSmart and told them what had happened.
“They said: ‘Let me guess, is it Local Locksmith 24/7?'”
Local Locksmith 24/7 was indeed the locksmith company that had worked on Rutledge’s house. They are NOT the company Local Locksmiths Ltd, which is registered with Master Locksmiths Association Australasia, and is highly reviewed online.
When looking for a locksmith, make sure you are cautious. Here are a few tips to picking a reliable locksmith –
- Don’t pick the first name you come across on Google
- Visit their website
- Check google reviews
- Ask a family member or a friend for recommendations
- Ask for a quote prior to getting the work done
- Check for insurance
- If they seem dodgy, you can tell them that you need their service anymore.
Read more about locksmith related tips