Locksmith charges woman $5390 to get back into her apartment: 'You didn't get scammed you got robbed'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 15, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Sometimes you have no idea what something costs. You've never encountered this particular service or item, so you don't even have a ballpark. This is me with kegs. I have never purchased a keg before, so I don't even have an estimate of how much it would cost. You could pull the wool over my eyes and make up a number, and I would be none the wiser. It's important, in these situations, to do your research. But sometimes you end up in a pinch, and you need something, and you just have to pay for it. 

That's what happened in this story, in a classic quagmire where a woman was locked out of her apartment. She had lost her keys and needed to get in. There is not much you can do in this situation unless you have a neighbor with a spare set of keys. So she did what she had to do and called a locksmith. But when all was said and done, she was in the hole for a lot more money than she was expecting. Some wondered if it was legal.

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  • A locksmith repairs a lock on a door
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • These are the situations when it's a great idea to get a second and a third opinion. Because if you just accept everything that people tell you, then you might end up pretty ripped off. Read on to see the full details of this story and read what commenters had to say about it. 

  • A locksmith charged my partner's sister $5390 to get back into her apartment...

    24/7 Locksmith Services 24/7 Emergency Services Commercial Residential Auto Emergency Services WORK ORDER INVOICE Tech name: NAME ADDRESS LOCATION QTY. TERMS PHONE DATE 17/17125 DESCRIPTION PRICE AMOUNT emergent lock ut service ca 350 drill Mortis Broken lock 400 Remies the Mecara 250 leek by dua bold to the sk 255 fix Mechanism Emtek Old 1750 Removal old lock that 220 Was Stukar new ad mortissi 225 fix frame 250 ' door AustMat 850 fix hinges door 375 eek cy Mort's lock fresh instrion Lubor tax
    via u/khalexie1
  • This has to be a scam, right? My partner's sister got locked out of her apartment the other night, and called a 24/7 service in LA. When the guy got there, he said none of the mechanics in the door actually worked, so he drilled into her lock and took the entire thing apart. It was the middle of the night so she didn't have much choice, and when he was done, he gave her this bill.
    via u/khalexie1
  • I thought she was saying it was $500... not 5 THOUSAND dollars. This has to be a scam, right? I'm furious right now!!!
    via u/khalexie1

  • Commenters agreed that this was out of bounds.

    Dangerous_Stretc... Yeah I'd be letting them take that one to court.
    via u/Dangerous_Stretch_67
  • Fast-Newt-3708 NOPE. Half these charges sound bogus. What is $800 for a "door adjustment fee"? $400 to drill a lock and then another $250 to remove it? She should absolutely dispute and report this.
    via u/Fast-Newt-3708
  • babybee43 • 21d ago NOR! This is absurd.... It's also not even completely filled out! You want me to pay $5k+ but your not gunna write the technicians name on there?! BS!
    via u/babybee43
  • A locksmith installs a lock on the door.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • AngelicDivineHealer You didn't get scammed you got robbed.
    via u/AngelicDivineHealer
  • Junior_Buy6255 Dispute this with your bank or credit card. This can't possibly be to price they quoted you before you hired them for the job. If they attempt to sue you i doubt the judge will side with them.
    via u/Junior_Buy6255
  • Julesspaceghost Unless she lives in a bank vault, that is absurd. You could kick the door in and replace the jambs and everything for less than that.
    via u/Julesspaceghost
  • [deleted] There's no way. Tell him you need to run by landlord and "he'll call him". This happened to me but with my car and needing to break in. I was going to get towed in 3 hours so the tow guy waited last minute and showed up 10
    via u/[deleted]
  • mins prior and tried charging me $375. A total joke. I waved down the cops, told the guy to F off and pleaded with them to let me sort out in the next hour. Well, $80 later I was back in my car within 45 minutes. These assholes try to scam.
    via u/[deleted]
  • $5,390 is astronomical and I do believe there is a law against this sort of practice. Companies can't do a service then randomly spring a number that's way out of market value for the service.
    via u/[deleted]
  • DimSumDino NOR. it would have been cheaper to stay in a nice hotel with room service and the whole shabangabang until she got in contact with the landlord to get her door open lol
    via u/DimSumDino
  • [deleted] There are no phone numbers or business name and numbers on the invoice either it's like... a Monopoly Invoice..
    via u/[deleted]
  • thinksying That's a scam - please tell her to dispute the charges and complain to the better business bureau. She can also try going to her city hall, or call state attorney general. There are actually a lot of government groups that are supposed to help you if you get scammed by a business. You just have to know who to ask; so always cast a wide net and see who can help.
    via u/thinksying
  • Seriously, depending on what state you are in, the attorney general can really help. Or they can send you down to the local attorney general. A few years AT&T store scammed me and my state attorney general got me my $85 back. I didn't think they'd bother helping since it wasn't that much money, (to them at least) but just wanted my complaint lodged against bad business practices.
    via u/thinksying
  • This guy probably thought he could scam some dumb woman and that he could get away with it because she would feel intimidated. So she might even be able to file Harassment charges. NOR and tell her not to pay.
    via u/thinksying
  • Profeshinal_Spellor The best part is she didnt sign it which is actually very important and in her favor
    via u/Profeshinal_Spellor
  • B... The real crime here is this person's handwriting
    via u/Brent_L
  • -and-kittens Total scam. I'd dispute with the bank.
    via u/-and-kittens
  • PrrRoblem 400 to use a drill. That's a joke. That's what the drill probably costs new. It looks like it was reduced from 600 as well. You dont charge people for using your tools. You charge for your labour and the service provided. If you could charge 5k per job, everyone would be a locksmith.
    via u/PrrRoblem
  • Igotdaruns Don't pay that shit. Was the guy there for 53hrs for $100/hr? Even if he was there 5hrs he's charging $1000/hr? For $5300 you can renovate a small bathroom including materials.
    via u/Igotdaruns
  • Profeshinal_Spellor To put this in perspective, I recently installed three prehung exterior doors recently with keyed alike (not by me but still Schlage commercial) locksets and reinforced striker security plates and trim and paint on the trim and cut peepholes and installed peepholes for $2100.00. $1600 of which was the cost of the doors.
    via u/Profeshinal_Spellor
  • ThatAirsickLowlan... Hi. Former... well not sure what to call it. I dealt with a LOT of lockouts from both homes and stores. I scheduled and dealt with billing. I even handled some when I was a smart home engineer and idiots would let their lock batteries die.
    via u/ThatAirsickLowlander
  • Lets say your worst case scenario, a Yale electronic lock with no key, only a pin pad, died. The lock would have to be drilled out through the screen itself to get access to the bolt to turn it. The lock would then need to be replaced.
    via u/ThatAirsickLowlander
  • $300 lock. (If they have one) $250 for an emergency response after hours, flat rate to get the door open. Maybe another $100 to handle installation. This bill is CRAZY. Report this company. Charge back through your bank.
    via u/ThatAirsickLowlander
  • Edit to add: the quotes I dealt with would be for emergencies revolving around chaim businesses of all sorts. From Dollar Tree up to Apple and almost anything between. Their rates were likely higher than residential.
    via u/ThatAirsickLowlander
  • PurpleBackground... $850:door adjustment, $400 labor, $350 stepped on uneven carpet, $750 locating address fee, $389 phone call, $1188 thought I heard you fart fee
    via u/PurpleBackground1138
  • Apprehensive-Fly23 She didn't sign the customer portion of invoice so could use that with CC company to prove the charge was unauthorized?
    via u/Apprehensive-Fly23
  • Nutty_Squirrels Please encourage them to dispute with credit card company and if that doesn't work, go to small claims court. No way this is going to fly in front of a judge.
    via u/Nutty_Squirrels

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locksmith scammer lock ripoff scam money apartment
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