You called a locksmith, they showed up, and now you're sitting with a receipt that looks nothing like the price you were quoted. Something feels off. Maybe the number is three times what they said on the phone. Maybe they drilled your lock when it looked perfectly fine. Maybe the guy handed you a handwritten invoice with no business name on it and drove away in an unmarked van.
If you're wondering whether you were scammed by a locksmith, this guide will help you figure it out — and tell you what to do about it.
Was the Price You Paid in the Normal Range?
The fastest way to check is to compare what you paid against fair market rates. Prices vary by city, so use these ranges as a guide.
| Service | Fair Market Price | Scam Price |
|---|---|---|
| Residential lockout (business hours) | $85 – $150 | $250 – $600+ |
| Residential lockout (after hours) | $130 – $200 | $350 – $700+ |
| Car lockout | $75 – $140 | $200 – $400+ |
| Rekey (per lock) | $55 – $100 | $200 – $500 "per lock" |
| Deadbolt replacement (standard) | $110 – $225 | $400 – $900+ |
| Broken key extraction | $75 – $140 | $300 – $500+ |
| Lock picking / opening (no damage) | $85 – $150 | Not applicable — if they drilled, ask why |
If you paid within the fair market range, you may just be dealing with sticker shock. Locksmiths are a skilled trade, and their rates reflect that. That's not a scam.
If you paid significantly above the fair market range — particularly if the final price was two to four times the quoted price — that's a strong indicator something went wrong.
Signs You Were Scammed (Including the Ones You May Have Missed)
These red flags often don't register in the moment, especially when you're stressed about being locked out. Looking back, here's what typically happens in a locksmith scam.
The quote was suspiciously low
Scam locksmith operations advertise rock-bottom prices to get a call. You'll see ads for $15, $39, or $49 service calls. These prices are bait. No legitimate locksmith in an American city can show up, do the job, and cover their overhead for $39. The idea is to get you to commit before you know the real cost.
The price jumped dramatically after arrival
This is the most common complaint. You were quoted $65 on the phone, but the technician arrived, looked at your lock for ten seconds, and told you there are "complications" — it's a high-security lock (it isn't), it requires special tools (it doesn't), the job is more complex than they thought (it's a standard deadbolt). The price is suddenly $380.
At that point, you're stuck. It's late, you're locked out, and calling another locksmith means starting over. They know this. That's the whole plan.
They drove an unmarked van
Legitimate locksmith businesses put their name on their vehicles. Not always — solo operators sometimes use personal trucks — but combined with other warning signs, an unmarked van with no branding is concerning.
They showed no ID and didn't mention a company name
A real locksmith business has insurance, licensing (in most states), and a traceable business identity. If your technician showed up with no company name, no ID, no business card, and no way to identify who they work for, you're dealing with a ghost operation.
They drilled your lock without trying to pick it first
This is a significant one. Picking a standard residential lock (Kwikset, Schlage, standard deadbolts) is a basic skill for any trained locksmith. The job takes a few minutes. Drilling destroys the lock and requires replacement — which the scammer then charges you for.
A legitimate locksmith drills a lock only when picking is genuinely not possible: high-security locks designed to resist picking, locks with damaged keyways, or specific situations where picking would take longer than drilling and replacement.
If you have a Kwikset deadbolt and they drilled it without attempting to pick it first, that's either incompetence or intentional fraud. Either way, you were overcharged.
They demanded cash only
This removes your ability to dispute the charge through your credit card company. It also leaves no bank or payment record. Cash-only demands are one of the clearest signals that the operation knows it can't withstand scrutiny.
You didn't get a proper receipt
A real business receipt includes the company name, address, phone number, a breakdown of charges, and your signature. If all you got was a handwritten number on a slip of paper — or nothing at all — that's not a receipt. It's a way to avoid accountability.
What Counts as a Legal Upcharge vs. Actual Fraud
Locksmiths are allowed to charge more in certain situations. The difference is disclosure. You should know the extra cost before work starts, not after.
Legal extra charges
After-hours surcharges: Most locksmiths charge more between roughly 6 PM and 8 AM, and on weekends. A $25 to $75 surcharge is normal. A $200 "emergency premium" is not.
High-security lock premium: If your lock genuinely is a Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, or ABLOY, extra labor is legitimate. These locks require different tools and more time. But the locksmith should identify the lock and tell you the price before starting, not after.
Long-distance travel fee: If you're out of their normal service area, a $15 to $40 travel fee is reasonable. More than that deserves a clear explanation.
Lock replacement (when necessary): If the lock genuinely needed to be replaced, the charge for a new lock is legitimate. You should have been shown the damaged or failed lock and offered a choice of hardware.
What's not legitimate
- A "high-security" surcharge applied to a standard Kwikset or Schlage
- Drilling fees on a lock that didn't require drilling
- Rekeying charges added to a lockout when you didn't request rekeying
- "Tool charges" or "material fees" on a standard lockout that weren't mentioned upfront
- Any charge the technician cannot clearly explain in plain terms
The clearest legal line: if you were told one price and charged a dramatically different price without being given a chance to agree to the new price before work began, that is consumer fraud in most states.
What to Do Now
If you paid by credit card or debit card
File a chargeback. You typically have 60 to 120 days from the transaction date (check your card agreement). Your claim: the service was misrepresented, the final price was significantly different from the quoted price, and/or you were charged for services you didn't authorize.
Your card issuer will ask for documentation. Pull together:
- The original quote — a note of what you were told on the phone, any texts or emails
- The receipt or invoice (photograph it if it's on paper)
- A written statement describing what happened in sequence
- Any photos you took (of the lock, the van, the technician)
You don't need all of this. Even a clear written statement of events is enough to open a dispute. The card company investigates; the merchant must respond; if they can't justify the charge, you get your money back.
If you paid cash
Recovery is harder, but not impossible:
- Contact the company directly. If you can identify the business, call and tell them you intend to file complaints and go to small claims court unless they refund the overcharge. Some operations will refund rather than face scrutiny.
- Small claims court. If you can identify the business entity — a company name, address, or business registration — small claims is a realistic option. Filing fees run $30 to $100, no lawyer needed. You just need to document what happened.
- State attorney general. Your state's consumer protection office can sometimes compel refunds, especially if there are multiple complaints against the same business.
File complaints regardless
Even if you can't recover the money, complaints matter. They build a public record and trigger regulatory attention:
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov — federal fraud database
- BBB: bbb.org — public record, company must respond
- Google Maps: Report the listing, leave a detailed honest review
- State attorney general: Many have online complaint forms specifically for consumer fraud
- Local police non-emergency line: If the technician took your money and didn't do the work, that's theft, not just fraud
The next person who searches that company name before hiring them will find your complaint. That matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a fair price for a basic residential lockout? In most US cities, a basic residential lockout during business hours costs $85 to $150. After hours (evenings and weekends), expect $130 to $200. If you're in a high-cost city like New York or San Francisco, add $30 to $50 to those ranges. Anything significantly above $200 for a standard door lockout warrants scrutiny.
I signed a work order before they started. Can I still dispute the charge? Yes. If you were pressured into signing, if the price wasn't clearly disclosed before you signed, or if the signed amount differs from what you were quoted, you can still dispute through your credit card company or in small claims court. A signature obtained through misrepresentation doesn't waive your consumer rights.
They said the lock was "high security" and that's why it cost more. Is that true? High-security locks (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, ABLOY, and similar) do cost more to service. But most standard home locks — Kwikset, Schlage, and equivalent brands — are not high-security locks. If your lock has a Kwikset or Schlage logo on it, it is not a high-security lock. If the technician called it one, they were lying to justify a higher charge.
They drilled my lock. Was that necessary? Probably not, if it was a standard residential lock. Drilling should be a last resort, used only when a lock genuinely cannot be picked or bypassed — usually high-security locks or locks with internal damage. For a standard deadbolt, a trained locksmith should be able to pick it open without destruction. If they went straight to drilling without explanation, you were likely overcharged.
Is there any way to get my money back if I paid cash? It's harder, but your options are small claims court (if you can identify the business), a complaint to your state attorney general's consumer protection office (which can sometimes compel refunds), and direct contact with the company threatening formal complaints. None of these are guaranteed, but they're not pointless either.
The quote was $50 and I paid $400. That has to be illegal, right? That kind of bait-and-switch pricing is considered consumer fraud in most states. Whether it rises to criminal fraud depends on your state's laws and whether the DA's office considers it worth prosecuting. Practically speaking, the most effective routes are a credit card chargeback (if you paid by card) and a complaint to your state attorney general.