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It’s annoying and usually happens at a particularly inopportune moment: the key is still in the apartment and the door falls into the lock. Even more annoying, however, is when a locksmith really rips off gullible customers in distress. This article shows different situations and solutions, so that one is well prepared in the case of the cases and knows, on which to pay attention.
Time and again, consumer centers are told that locksmiths would issue invoices in the higher three-digit euro range for ordinary door-opening services. Finally, in January 2020, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) confirmed the accusation of profiteering by emergency locksmiths who demand far excessive invoice amounts from consumers in emergency situations. Anyone affected by this now has significantly better chances of criminal investigations in such a case.
The following tips will help you avoid excessive demands from locksmiths:
1. compare prices
First of all, it is always advisable to remain calm in an emergency situation like this. Instead, you should focus on comparing the prices of local locksmiths. One resident locksmith for the Munich area is Locksmith Munich. A local emergency service has shorter travel distances and times than national providers.
2. agree on a fixed price
It is important to agree on a binding complete price for the door opening with the emergency locksmith before placing the order. The fixed price should include travel costs and any surcharges. The standard price for opening a closed door during the day on working days is in the range of 90 to 110 euros. For a night operation, on Sundays or holidays, appropriate surcharges are added, resulting in a total price of about 150 to 170 euros.
3. describe the exact situation
For the fixed price offer, the locksmith must know whether the door has only fallen shut or whether the key is stuck in the door lock in the apartment. Is it an ordinary lock or a security lock? On the basis of this information, the offer for the door opening can be calculated exactly.
In most cases, it is sufficient to open only the locked door. A costly replacement of the entire lock is therefore usually not necessary at all.
4. reject overpriced offers
Excessively priced offers that deviate from the above-mentioned standard values should be rejected outright. You should not be persuaded by seemingly necessary surcharges that go beyond the usual local scope. Once the bill has been paid, there is little chance of repayment. Fraudulent locksmiths are extremely clever in this respect, among other things by providing false address data. 5.
5. only pay what has been agreed upon
Before signing or paying an invoice, the individual items should be checked carefully for obvious reasons. Listings that have not been agreed upon should be deleted from the invoice. Therefore, payment should only be made if a correct invoice is presented that corresponds to what was agreed upon.
6. do not allow yourself to be put under pressure
If it should come in the most unpleasant case also still to the fact that the called key service threatens one to lock the door again, should not be hesitated with it to call the police. This is a case of coercion, which is punishable by law.
7. prevent problems with a locksmith in time
To avoid such unpleasant situations with a fraudulent locksmith in the first place, these measures will help:
deposit a duplicate key with a trusted person
search in advance for a reputable locksmith in the vicinity and save the contact details on your cell phone.
contact the janitor before the locksmith
outside normal business hours: if necessary, spend a night with acquaintances in the vicinity. A hotel may also be cheaper than the night surcharge at the locksmith.
