Cheap locksmiths cost more than they save. Three real cases from the Vellogy dispatch log (names changed).
Case 1: The drilled BS3621 cylinder
Agent in Hackney called a £39 locksmith from a Google ad for a tenant lockout at 10pm. The locksmith arrived in 25 minutes, drilled the Euro cylinder within 5 minutes, and charged £180 for the cylinder + £80 labour. Tenant couldn’t get back in until the next morning because the cylinder wasn’t a direct replacement.
Total bill: £260. Replacement cylinder done properly the next day by us: £85.
What the agent should have asked: “Will you attempt non-destructive entry first? What’s the call-out fee including the first 30 minutes? What cylinder will you fit and is it a like-for-like replacement?”
Case 2: The wrong lock on a fire door
Agent in Southwark asked a locksmith to upgrade the front door lock on a flat. The locksmith fitted a standard Euro cylinder, charged £120. The fire risk assessment later flagged it: the building’s fire door specification required a BS8621 (easi-then-escape) or BS10621 (multi-point) cylinder, not a BS3621 thumb-turn. The agent had to pay for a second visit.
Total bill: £240 instead of £160 if done correctly first time.
What the agent should have asked: “Is the existing lock BS3621, BS8621 or BS10621? Will you match the existing specification? Do you need to see the fire risk assessment?”
Case 3: The non-DBS locksmith and the vulnerable tenant
Agent in Tower Hamlets booked a locksmith for an elderly tenant who needed locks changed after a burglary. The locksmith arrived, changed two locks, took payment in cash, and left no invoice or DBS certificate. Three weeks later, the agent’s compliance officer asked for the DBS certificate — it didn’t exist. The agent had to refund the tenant and book a different locksmith to redo the work, just to get proper paperwork.
Total bill: £260 (refund + redo).
What the agent should have asked: “Can you provide an Enhanced DBS certificate number before the visit? Will you issue an itemised invoice with the certificate on file?”
The 4-question locksmith checklist
Before booking any locksmith, ask these:
- What’s the call-out fee including the first 30 minutes? (£60-£80 is reasonable in London; under £40 is a red flag)
- Will you attempt non-destructive entry first?
- Do you carry £2M+ Public Liability? (And can you email the certificate now?)
- Do you have an Enhanced DBS certificate?
If the locksmith won’t answer these four questions, don’t book them. The £20 you save on call-out will cost you £200 the first time something goes wrong.
How Vellogy works
Every locksmith on the network is DBS-checked, £2M+ PL insured, Gas Safe / NICEIC / FENSA where relevant, and verified in person before their first job. You see the call-out fee upfront. The contractor quotes the work. Vellogy adds 5% admin margin. One invoice at month end.