Last Updated: 1:33 pm | Wednesday, November 7
New key leads to more trouble, higher price for customer
Many people in need of a locksmith look in the phone book, on the Internet, or call directory assistance.
Unfortunately, while you may think the locksmith you pick is local, he might turn out to be anything but that - and the price you're quoted might also be wrong.
Katherine Ray of Florence needed a replacement key for her 10-year-old Ford. She went online, and picked what appeared to be a local locksmith.
"I called and asked for the price. They quoted $120 to $160, and I asked if that included a computer chip because I wasn't sure, and she said it did, " said Ray.
When the locksmith arrived, his bill was a lot higher than quoted.
"He came up with these other charges. Yeah, the key was only $120, but the service charge and labor - they didn't tell us about that, " she said.
The total came to $224, but they got an 8 percent discount because the locksmith took a lot longer to arrive than promised.
Ray said the additional charges would have been bad enough, however, "The key starts the car, but it won't keep it running - I'm assuming because it doesn't have a computer chip in it."
Fortunately, her husband was able to find the original car key so he could drive and keep the car running. Although he paid part of the bill using plastic, that money has already been taken from his bank account because he used a debit card, not a credit card.
The locksmith in question is called Dependable Locksmith and it's based in New York.
Ray called to complain but said, "After arguing with her and telling her I want my money back or I want the key fixed, I want something, I got nothing. She said there's nothing she could do."
I've reported on problems with this locksmith company in the past so I called again with this complaint. A supervisor told me they need to get to the car dealer so the key can be coded.
But, when a locksmith later contacted Ray, she said he didn't know how to do that, so nothing's been done. The Kentucky Attorney General is now investigating her complaint.
My advice: If you need a locksmith make sure he's local and confirm that the estimate you receive is the complete price for the job.
Remember what one customer did when told the price would be considerably higher than the quote - he threatened to call the police and the locksmith immediately agreed to the lesser price.
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