Locksmith ripoff? Cerrajero malo?

[steveinbsas]

I drove to Punta Alta yesterday in search of a locksmith. I stopped at the one I had been to six months ago when I needed a spare car key. The owner of the shop told me to come back in an hour later (1:30 Pm).

When I returned he locked up the shop and we drove to my house. He spent almost three hours installing a second (double deadbolt) lock in the metal kitchen door (cutting and drilling required) and changing the lock in the front door (wood).

Cost for the installation of the two new locks and new picaportes (lever style handles): $400.00 pesos.

The new locks were included in the above price. I may have paid a bit "extra" for service urgente but I didn't ask about it. The full price was quoted in advance so there was no surprise.

On Monday the hierro is coming to replace the screen in the outer kitchen door. I noticed his shop when driving back to my house with the locksmith. The job requires removing the cross bars and inner frame and reinstalling them using pop rivets. He will also sand and repaint the door in his shop. Cost (including the two trips): $108 pesos.

He asked if I could help him with his new computer as the OS is in English. You all know the answer.

On Thursday my "regular" electrician (who works in an electrical supply shop in Punta Alta) and his helper came to the house and installed two exterior halogen lamps. The charge was $21 each for the lamps and $35 pesos (total) for the labor.

After I dropped off the locksmith I visited with the family who used to live in my house. We drank mate and the daughter went and bought medialunes. The patriarch showed me the current tax bill (which I must pay): $16 pesos.

 

[argsteve]

I think this is why you never see the guys open for business when you walk by a key place about 80% of the time they are closed and they have a sign to call them for emergency service.... then it is basically whatever they can get!!!

 

[steveinbsas]

The reason I was asked to come back at 1:30 is that almost all retail business in Punta Alta and Bahia Blanca close for the siesta...many at noon. The lock shops stay open here after other shops are closed so folks who work in other businesses have time to get keys made.

 

[sam3g]

My Argentine-laywer-girlfriend has promised me that she'll go to the Defensa Consumidor this week to bring it up. We shall see what happens!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I drove to Punta Alta yesterday in search of a locksmith....

On Monday the hierro is coming to replace the screen in the outer kitchen door.....

On Thursday my 'regular' electrician (who works in an electrical supply shop in Punta Alta) and his helper came to the house and installed two exterior halogen lamps.....

I'm hoping, Steve, that this is all scheduled maintenance and repairs and nothing to do with ladrones

 

[Hache]

In the U.S., some businesses bend over backwards to build customer loyalty (by special-ordering items and offering generous refund policies, for example). At some grocery stores, you can bring back any item at any time, opened and without a receipt, and receive a full refund.

This calls for a personal anecdote. A couple months after moving to Boston I went to Guitar Center and I bought an item that didn't function properly. Being used to find "resistance", I went back to the store on "warrior mode", ready to fight the fight and get the item changed. Getting my money back was something that to me belonged in the realm of fantasy. All worked up, I engaged the salesman in a polite but cold way. You could tell by my face that I was mentally ready for "when things got ugly" (in the next few seconds, I thought). The guy didn't say a word, grabbed my piece of equipment and went to the back of the store. As usual in these situations, I was being consumed by my nerves as I waited, overwhelmed in advance by the feeling of impotence and anger that was already growing inside me. The guy came back with another box, unopened. He smiled and said "I hope this one works fine, sorry for the inconvenience. Have I nice day". I walked out astonished and confused, feeling very stupid.

In Argentina, many businesses and contractors seem to have this "take the money and run" attitude. Once they have your pesos, they don't care whether you ever come back.

An x-ray of the "argentino vivo". In the local slang, "vivo" means cunning. The universal meaning of the word in the Spanish language is alive. Isn't that ironic? Their brains must be dead if they prefer some one-time extra money rather than a loyal customer that will come back every time they need their service and recommend them to their acquaintances (more potential loyal customers).

At least I'm solaced by the fact that these despicable characters don't constitute a majority.

 

[random.striker]

Well, talking about locksmiths taking advantage of the situation... get a load of this:

We have an 8 month old baby and after my wife was putting her on the back seat in the car, she shuts the door only to realise that *all* car's doors are locked! (which is almost impossible to do given that central locking is meant to prevent this time of accidents, but oh well)

Of course my wife panics. I was away on business and unreachable so she calls some friends for help. They called a locksmith that can't do the work since he's faraway but suggests a "friend".

Now picture a hot Saturday afternoon in Buenos Aires and a baby crying her lungs out inside and my wife in panic mode! The locksmith's "friend" doesn't show up for 45 minutes... He starts working without having much idea of what he's doing. It takes him another 45 minutes to open the door.... and he wants 900 pesos for it

My wife is mad and wants to kill the guy as he's clearly taking advantage of the situation... quickly the guy realises that he's not getting what he asks for as my wife is on the phone with the police... he ends up getting 500 and leaves.

If you ever get into a situation like this, just break a side window... it'll be a lot less stressful, fast and probably cheaper.

Don't get me wrong: I'm all for people to earn a good living and even more so if I'm calling you at 4AM because I forgot the keys inside the house by accident... but when there are people (specially kids) at risk, you've gotta be a low life SOB to take advantage of this. Really.

 

[steveinbsas]

I'm hoping, Steve, that this is all scheduled maintenance and repairs and nothing to do with ladrones

I appreciate your concern, man with no name.

There was no attempted break in. Perhaps my use of the term service "urgente" made it sound like it. The lock in the front door was shot and I couldn't open it. If the kitchen door lock failed I might not have been able to either enter or exit the house (except through windows IF I was already inside).

The screen door for the kitchen had been in storage for years and the screen was torn by the previous occupants' dogs. My dogs don't have the ability to jump high enough to damage the new screen.

 

[nikad]

Well, these guys, locksmiths when working in " emergency " mode will always rip you off. It doesn´t matter whether you are local or expat. Usually when these things happen the best thing to do is call your super or a neighbor, they will always recommend you the cheapest of the scammers. On the other hand you have to always ask before they perform any job, how much it will cost. There you leave the guy with 2 options: go back home with the 50 initial pesos or give you a down to earth price ( that won´t bea bargain either ) and go back home with let´s say 300 pesos or so. You could report this to Defensa del Consumidor, although I doubt they will do much, since they usually deal with companies versus consumer, and not individuals, but you can give it a shot anyways. Chances are that the guy is not registered anywhere and not paying any taxes These guys charge based on your face, neighborhood and their mood unfortunately, but you can always say no and call somebody else. If your girlfriend is local she should be familiar with these situations though, everybody knows these guys are a nightmare to deal with

 

[steveinbsas]

Anyone who has renter's or homeowner's insurance should be able to call and receive the service without any charge.

I know this is the case with those insured by Mapfre...but only if they call the toll free number!