This is by far the WORST experience with any company or contractor in any industry I've EVER had,…read moreand my field is interior architecture and design.
I called this locksmith by their 1-800-667-1676 number the night I got locked out of my Parkchester apartment around 6:30pm. I called four different locksmiths in the Parkchester area, the best rated ones on google and yelp, and all four quoted the minimum to get me back into my apartment at around $75 all charges included based on the description of the situation, and said it would vary slightly depending on what exactly the issue was when they arrived.
I ended up with this locksmith, and was given the same quote. The locksmith came quickly, was friendly, got to work immediately, and was chatty for all of the 10 minutes he was with my significant other and I. It took him all of 3 minutes to tap on the lock, flash a light at it (we held the light up for him), and then for him to drill into the cylinder. As soon as the work was done and he put away his drill, he changed the price from $75 to $275. When I protested, he said the price he'd originally given was an estimate based on, "how the situation sounded over the phone". At that point I hadn't felt like I could even argue, the job was already done, and I never want anyone to feel as though I'd ripped them off, so I paid the fee, which he insisted I pay in cash. I asked for a receipt, and he said something to the effect of, "Oh, I'd have to go all the way down to the truck and run back up to get it to you" to which my boyfriend offered to run down with him for it to save him the trip.
However, when called the Parkchester service department came to replace that bottom lock, and I told their locksmith what I was charged, he was flabbergasted, saying that the job should never has cost more than $75. After speaking about it to my management company, I was told from a woman working their that they used to own a locksmiths shop for 15 years in NYC, and that they were all appalled that I would be charged that much after having seen the job.
I called the number on my receipt, and the first person that picked up was a secretary. I explained to her what the issue with the door was and asked her for a quote, she told me the service fee was $19 and that the work sounded like it would cost just upwards of $30 (she started at saying $29 definitively then changed her answer), when I told her what I'd actually been charged, she said, "WOW, thats insane, what company was that? They ripped you off" and I said, "Yours. I got this number off of my receipt." And she said, "oh, um, hold on please" and put me on the phone with the man who ended up speaking to me more rudely than I've ever been spoken to by a business in my entire life.
I told him how much I respected their work and their industry, and it didn't matter what I said or how polite or calm I was, as soon as I expressed distaste for the charge, he completely shut down. I told him his employee changed the price after he finished the job, and he said that wasn't true and that I must've agreed to pay the fee beforehand, which I certainly did not. I wasn't told the actual cost until after the job was done (I argued it for a bit before I paid, but the locksmith that night insisted that was the cost). I would never want to make anyone feel like I took advantage of their work, so I simply paid it despite my reservations. The man over the phone continued to insinuate that I was lying, and that I must've agreed to the charge beforehand. He kept trying to talk over me, shut me up, and just get me off the phone. I told him I felt disrespected by his employee for overcharging me, and by him for how he was treating me, and he just said, "OK." I asked, "Do you even care that you and your employees have made your customer feel disrespected?", to which he simply said, "No." I told him I would have no problem leaving a bad review, filing a complaint with consumer affairs, etc., simply so he would know I wasn't just going to shut up and scamper away because he raised his voice at me, and he said, "I don't care, ok, go ahead."
I'm at a loss for what this business is even thinking.
