I am a young woman who accidentally locked my keys, cell phone and purse in my vehicle at the Vons…read moreFuel Station located at 40044 CA-49, Oakhurst, CA 93644. The gas attendant helped me by calling a locksmith company nearby, which was Superb Locksmith located at 35300 CA-41 STE V8, Coarsegold, CA 93614. The locksmith, whose name I believe is Joni Even, arrived, did not request a form of ID from me, unlocked my vehicle and then asked for payment, which he stated was eighteen fifty; he rendered the service before identification and payment were arranged. After the service was rendered, I told him I was unable and unwilling to pay him on the spot. I asked him to invoice me or my insurance company, State Farm, at a later time. He refused and then proceeded to berate, lecture and humiliate me in public while other civilians watched. I remained calm and respectful, but was completely stunned, horrified and taken aback by how disrespectfully, inhumanely and inappropriately he spoke to me. He seemed to accuse me of deceitfully taking advantage of him and his time to utilize his service for free, which was not true. He had me give my keys back to him, tossed them in my vehicle, relocked my vehicle and departed. I do not believe this behavior is acceptable, ethical or moral. His actions seem to suggest that his payment takes precedent over my safety, and he seems to have no reservation about putting my safety at risk. His unauthorized interference with my vehicle is retaliatory conduct and Under California Vehicle Code § 10852, interfering with a vehicle without the owner's consent can qualify as tampering. Under California Business and Professions Code § 9844 and California Code of Regulations Title 16, § 2722, service providers are legally mandated to present a written estimate and obtain explicit customer authorization before starting any physical work. Furthermore, under California Business and Professions Code § 6980.55, locksmiths are legally required to verify and document the customer's identification prior to generating a work order. I do not recommend this company's services. Technique Towing, another local company with locksmith services, is much more professional and ethical. I have reported my experience to the Better Business Bureau, and I will be reporting it to State Farm too.
UPDATE (April 2026):
I escalated this issue by filing a formal dispute with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The business completely ignored the case. Below is the official notice I received from the BBB regarding their lack of response:
OFFICIAL BBB NOTICE:
We regret to inform you that BBB was unsuccessful in obtaining a response from the company.
RESULT:
The BBB complaint was closed due to a lack of response from the business.
