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This article is for people that engage the services of a locksmith and are not satisfied with the service that they have received. It explains your rights when using a locksmith and gives tips on how to handle the situation in the event you have an issue.
The article is written by Lock Guy, a professional locksmith based in Essex.
Unfortunately, the locksmith profession is unregulated. That means that there are rogue locksmiths and locksmiths not working to an acceptable standard working in the UK.
These so-called ‘locksmiths’ often do not have the knowledge, skill and/or experience to take on lock related jobs. And there is much evidence out there of people being left very dissatisfied with the service that they have received.
Being an unregulated profession means that there are less formal ways to try to seek redress than other professions. But it is still important to know your rights.
Let’s start by having a look at your rights, as a consumer, under current UK Law when using a locksmith.
In the UK, you are protected by statute law, namely the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
The Consumer Rights Act is mainly about whether the service you received matched what you paid for.
The Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulation relates to whether you were induced into the transaction by misleading, aggressive, or unfair practices.
So, under law, the service must have been carried out with “reasonable care and skill”.
The law also says that locksmiths should charge fair pricing and the rates should be ‘reasonable’.
The consumer also has the right to cancellation. In practice this may be difficult if work has already started or been completed (and most locksmith work is required at short notice). Nevertheless, if you do not like anything about their appearance, what they say, if the price is vague or you are not happy with their proposed methods, then your normal 14-day cancellation rights still apply in theory. You will still be expected to pay a ‘reasonable’ amount for any work that is partially done.
If you have been left unsatisfied after using a locksmith, then gather together as much evidence as possible. Ensure you keep any paperwork and correspondence (e.g. quotes, invoices and receipts). Take photos of the problem area and write a detailed timeline of events whilst it is still fresh in your mind.
Make a formal written complaint to the locksmith company detailing your grievance. If they are a rogue locksmith company then you are unlikely to hear back from them. But if they are a reputable company they may well take action to compensate you and penalise their employee.
Contact your local trading standards office to report the issue. It is their job to enforce the consumer protection laws – although it is not their role to recover money for individual consumers. They will look for patterns of consistent complaints against individuals or companies. Trading Standards are particularly interested in situations where locksmiths have overcharged people, displayed misleading adverts, made false claims, been aggressive and made misrepresentations. Ultimately Trading Standards has the power to bring criminal prosecutions and apply for court orders to cease trading.
If you have selected someone that is accredited to a reputable locksmith association, e.g. Master Locksmiths Association, Certified Locksmiths & Security or UK Locksmiths Association, then hopefully that means you are less likely to be the victim of substandard locksmith work. But if you are dissatisfied after using an accredited locksmith then you should alert that association to the problem. They can help guide you to get a resolution and they can also penalise the locksmith and remove their accreditation status.
Write a negative review and post on social media to make others aware. Most locksmiths will want to avoid any negative reviews as they can be damaging. This can therefore be a powerful motivator for them to put the situation right. If you are doing such a review make sure it is honest and factual. The locksmith may well still not respond, but at least you have made others aware and you can impact their future earnings.
If you are not sure what to do, then you can always contact the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and they can help you through the process.
Wherever possible, always try to pay for the services of a locksmith using a credit card. This way you may have protection via section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Contact your payment provider as they have liability to support you in your complaints and claims.
You can try to sue the locksmith and make a claim against them. Usually this is done through the small claims court where you can claim for the cost difference between what you paid and what a reasonable charge would have been. But this can be a costly, long process with no guarantees of success.
As always, it is better to try to prevent yourself from being in a situation where you are left disappointed with the services of a locksmith. Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of a poor locksmith:
For more information on ways to avoid using a locksmith that doesn’t cut the mustard, read my articles on How To Select A Good Locksmith and, more importantly, How To Identify A Rogue Locksmith.
Whether the work that has been carried out is not acceptable, or they have charged too much, you do have rights and you should not allow them to ‘get away with it’. If you are not sure whether you are the victim of substandard work or being over-charged, then contact another local locksmith for a second opinion.
Genuine local professional locksmiths will be able to support you as they are passionate about improving standards in the locksmith profession and want to eradicate those that give the profession a bad name.
If you want any further information on your rights when using a locksmith, or you have a requirement for a locksmith in Witham, Maldon, Braintree or anywhere in Essex, then contact Lock Guy!
Got a question about a lock issue you may have? Why not have a look at the FAQ page or one of the helpful advice videos on the Media page.