The Truth Behind Subcontractor Locksmith Work – A Personal Insight

As a local locksmith in London, I’ve recently had some tough experiences that I feel need to be shared — not just for customers to understand, but also for fellow locksmiths who are trying to work honestly.

I’ve worked with a few large subcontractor firms who dominate Google by spending thousands on ads. As a small business, it’s nearly impossible to compete with that. So many of us end up working under them just to keep jobs coming in. But here’s the problem...

They control the price. And sometimes, they tell you to charge ridiculous amounts — £600 to £700 for a simple lockout job. Just to open a door! No parts, no major labour. I’ve personally been asked to do this, and I felt uncomfortable. In fact, I felt ashamed. That’s not how I want to run my business.

To make it worse, when customers see “£39 locksmith” ads, they fall for it. Then they’re shocked when the real price is several hundred pounds. But by that point, they’re stuck — someone has already drilled the lock.

It’s frustrating. The public often doesn’t understand that good locksmiths don’t need to drill unless necessary. And real professionals offer transparent pricing, no hidden fees, and only charge fair rates for honest work.

In one case, a customer refused to pay even the basic call-out fee after I attended. And yet, they’d happily believe an ad that promised “cheap locksmiths” with no clarity at all.

I started AMZ Locksmith to be different. I don’t overcharge. I don’t trick people with fake ads. And I don’t pressure anyone into unnecessary work. I believe in real service, built on trust and skill, not just marketing spend.

If you’re reading this and you’ve had a bad locksmith experience — or you're a locksmith tired of being part of a broken system — just know, there are still good people in this trade. You’ve just got to look past the ads.