$3,000 dollars later, I wish I never contacted Prime Locksmith.
These guys are full blown scam artists.
DO NOT CONTACT THEM.
If you do, get quotes and estimates upfront. Don't make the mistake we did and didn't ask how much they charge for services.
My wife and I just bought a new home and wanted the locks changed, wanted a way to update the door code on the Schlage smart lock that was left on our front door, and wanted to fix a broken knob on our back French doors. (See attached photos)
I called Prime Locksmith and they sent a guy over to look at everything. He swapped the front door, backdoor, and garage door locks without any issues, and now we only need one key to open all of them, which is nice.
Now on to the bad.
Since we didn't have the paperwork with the original codes for the Schlage smart lock, the locksmith said he had to take it to his "friend" so he can "hack" the lock so we can set up a new code. So, we set up a new code and he charged us $225 to do so. The lock eventually reset and became unusable, so I just bought a new smart lock (for around the same price) and was able to install and program it myself. Wasted $225 on that.
As I mentioned, I asked about replacing the backdoor French doorknob that was broken. He ignored me and said I needed to replace the whole lock mechanism that was inside the door.
He said he had to drive to Pasadena or Torrance to find this specific piece and that he'll be back. He left and came back about 4 hours later, smelling of smoke.
When he got back, he said he ordered the piece for us from his supplier. He showed me the receipt and it showed the mechanism cost $1,347.50 and he got expedited shipping for an extra $125.
He said he already paid for the piece and it was custom to our door so we couldn't return it.
He never called us or asked us for approval of the purchase of this piece. He just bought it and showed the bill to us, and refused to leave until we paid him.
After I made the mistake of paying him, I tried calling the manager of this company to dispute the charges. He was of no help. He just said, "You paid. No refunds."
So yea, if you need locksmith services, find literally anyone else. These guys took advantage of young new homeowners and just completely screwed us over.
See attached photos for receipts and pictures of parts. read more