Whats wrong with Vancouvers locksmiths?
 

Locked myself out last night and called a few places that I searched from online. It was different numbers but the same dispatch. Different prices and
80$ to show up and total 300 if the guy picks it/drills it. Guy failed to pick it and I sent him away.

He didn't even try different methods, like single pin picking, just your basic raking pick and bump gun. Then he boasted about how his fingers need 2.5-2.7grams of pressure on the tension wrench and such. LOL. GTFO.

Ended up making my spare key holder to make an hour trip, but what gives? Are emergency lock smith all shit like that?

Know any reputable and fair ones that I can keep in mind if this shit happens again?

$270~ + taxes is pretty standard for after hours emergency services. Locksmiths tend to spend about 5-10mins on picking, if they can't they go for drilling it out to minimize time (But then you have to pay for a replacement cylinder/whole lock).

Are you calling Mr. Locksmith/Mr. Prolock? Same dispatcher sounds a little fishy.

standard for night time emergency services

wonder how difficult it is to become a locksmith.... I wouldn't mind waking up in the middle of the night for $200...

If it makes you feel any better last year my kitchen sink backup up. My wife brought in a plumber recommended by someone she knew to fix it on the side. He came, tried for an hour failed, charged her $120 and left. Not only did he not fix it but he left my sink was leaking.

The next day is a Saturday, it's a long weekend Monday is the holiday. I call a guy he comes in and fixes it in an hour and 15 minutes with a power snake, charges me $500 for the privilege. He said because it was a long weekend it was all premium time, I'm like fucking A!

Over $600 to fix a clogged fucking drain............. I thought the charge out work at my work was a light raping but we got nothing on plumbers.

Sounds like standard plumbing job to me. Had a guy came and fixed my washer, spent a total 15 min. Charged $300, on a regular weekend, no parts. You have to take into account the dude time travelling to you, parking, etc. All billable hours.

I always use legit sites with 4-5 star rating, just not worth the hassle otherwise. For regular work day, I had good experience with Yaletown Plumbing, was $200 to unclog the drain on a workday.

lol $600 can buy a new sink + re-pipe your drain

Yeah I don't mind the 85$ dollar charge just to show up; that completely acceptable. But I was just mad and sketched out about the various online sites having the same dispatcher, and then a $300 quote to not guarantee a successful lock pick but just force it open by drilling a hole into the pins that anybody with a drill and youtube access can learn to do.

The guy was wearing a rolex with iphone 6s plus and got another dispatch call within the 10minute time frame that he tried to pick my lock. Before I called him, I made a makeshift pick tool with a safety pin and tweezers I bought from convenience store and he did the exact same method I learned from youtube. I expected more from an "expert" lol. The method is to rake the pins fast or slow enough that it randomly but simultaneously catches on the edge so it becomes aligned and the lock can turn.

After 10minutes of trying, he was going to resort to drilling but I said no and then he tried so desperately to pick that lock as it was the a difference between a $85 and $300 pay. I guess he is just used to people being ok with drilling the lock.

To top it off, i asked him what a lock like that costs to replace and he kept saying it depends on the lock and gave me no actual price. To me, an expert would carry around various spare locks to replace after drilling(for a cost obviously).

Quick google search showed me the going price for a deadbolt front door lock was around $50. Made me think if it's just average joes with lockpick kits that can be bought on amazon for $25.

Not paying someone who shows up and failed to complete the job, is that standard?

Yeah, the clog was further down then under the sink but I agree way to much money for the work involved.

Charging to not fix something is annoying. And $500 does seem like a lot to fix the problem.

That being said, these are professionals who spend years in training and on site experience to be able to determine what is wrong. If a plumber is called in to fix a leak, and pulls out a spanner and turns a bolt and it stops the leak and charges you $200...well guess what, he knew how to do that, you didn't, so you pay for the privilege.

But another time, he might have to find the water shutoff, wade through a swamp of shit, bring his whole tool bag of specialized tools, troubleshoot the leak, solder a new pipe elbow etc etc...you sure as hell weren't equipped to do all that, so you pay a premium.

I was an apprentice plumber briefly until I realized i'd be splicing into shit pipes and wading in grease traps at some point in my near future, so I got out. Plumbers make a ton of money, but only after 20 years of doing literally shitty jobs. Just like with most careers, you have to work your way up. An experienced lawyer or therapist will charge you hundreds of dollars an hour, even over the phone.

If I had a 9-5 job like a plumber, or any tradesperson in this boom of construction in Vancouver, I would cherish my one of few long weekends a year and charge whatever the fuck I wanted for someone to take me away from my family or friends on a holiday, so that they can continue to enjoy theirs.

ask them for their locksmith license otherwise tell them not to show up.

https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/...out-locksmiths

I realized this too late and $560 later when an employee locked themselves out of my office. $100 to show up, $200 to drill out and then $200 to install a new lock. By the time I asked the employee what the $60 was for the "locksmith" was gone.

I've been involved in the trades since 1990, my fulltime job for the last 7 years is pricing things and giving estimates. I know how it works my point is what some people charge is ridiculous. I have guys working all long weekend including today, we're not billing them out at anywhere near that nor would we be able to and it's the busiest I've ever seen it right now, even more busy then the Olympic boom IMO. We have to play the shell game with our guys just to maintain a presence on most the jobs we have going at the moment, it's ridiculous.

As someone who has been picking for a hobby for the past 10 years I can understand the cost. 1, its an emergency service so they drop everything to help you. Second, it takes a VERY long time to become proficient with picking locks. The various configurations of pins that are out there is HUGE, not to mention there are various locks out there with thing to make them even more unpickable. Side pins for example.

To determine what is reasonable or not without possessing 1/1000th of the skill to do the job is ridiculous.

Now it may be cheaper just to get those locks with keypads

This is exactly what i needed to know. Wish I knew it earlier.


And thats why i have said 85$ to drop everything and show up after hours is reasonable.

$300 to resort to drilling a lock after 10minutes of trying to rake pick the lock is not reasonable and does not take a skilled person to know that.

True, but the most important question, did you have the tools to get in?

There is no point in single pin picking a lock that has security pins or side pins. Never mind if the key way is complex. If you want in then you pay, if you want to find another way then you dont.
I do this for a hobby so finding hard locks or doing challenge locks is fun and learning, but I can spend an evening or more working on a single lock. No lock smith is going to waste that kind of time working on a single lock. Easier and cheaper to drill and get you in.

Sure, but that's like saying I can take my own pictures for the price of a $500 dollar DSLR camera from Bestbuy. I can take thousands for pics and I'm bound to get one good one, why do I need to hire you?

"P H O T O G R A P H E R
www.jacksonzhao.com"

If you have sewer issues, tub not draining, sink etc always call the City (Can only comment on City of Vancouver). If it ends up not being your fault you don't pay and even if it does end up being your fault the rates are cheaper than anyone else out there since they basically charge to cover costs vs making money.

Rates are cheaper if it's your fault? They'll fix it?

No, rates are cheaper than a private plumber probably 80-90% of the time.

I should however be clear about the services the City provides when it comes to a Sewer Backup. The City will stop the blockage, they won't fix anything that's broken but they will clear the blockage. If they discover the blockage was the City's fault i.e. most common reason is tree roots from trees on the boulevard then they will clear the blockage and fix anything that needs to be fixed if any and you don't pay a dime. If they discover the blockage was not the City's fault i.e. unknown blockage then it defaults to being your fault and you pay for their time there but they will still have provided the service of clearing whatever was clogging your pipes.

Water and sewer repair costs | City of Vancouver

In quasi's example if we assume the City would have taken the same amount of time of 1hr 15min on that stat day then it would have come out to be about $464, taxes included. That comes out cheaper than the private plumber he used and if you factor in the costs of the first plumber he hired then that would have been huge savings, potentially. But the City guys are pro, you won't need to worry about some noob coming out trying to do this job solo, likely a 2 man crew with lots of experience and with tools up the yin yang. If it ends up being tree roots or something you don't get stuck in a position of trying to get your private plumbers bill reimbursed. Lastly, don't need to worry about additional charges for camera, and all the other extra crap as it's all included.

Was just making sure I was reading right since I am a city worker and quite often you'll hear a homeowner say "you're already here and a plumber would cost 1000$+...want to make 500$ this weekend?".

Oh haha nah, doubt anyone would say yes to that. Total liability issues to go beyond the scope of what the crews are allowed to do, just not worth it.

I need a locksmith to come over and rekey 1 door lock. How much does this type of service typically cost so that i don't get ripped off?

$95 + keys + taxes