Locksmith West Lothian

Budget locksmith west Lothian: what makes us different?

The main difference between Budget locksmith west Lothian service, and other companies are our PRICES!
After each job the customer is asked about any quotes they received before using us. We find that our Locksmiths West Lothian service is never beaten on price. Occasionally another company will match our quote, but usually we are the cheapest West Lothian Locksmiths around.

For Example

We went to an emergency locksmith west Lothian job recently. The woman was locked out, and the property was secured by an UPVC multi point lock. The woman wanted the door opened and the lock changed, just in case the lost keys fell into the wrong hands. We quoted £60 to open the door and £25 to supply and fit a new lock. This was the total price, no VAT or any other charges would be added on.

The woman was happy with this quote and asked us to come out immediately. The woman was back in her property, with a new lock fitted within 45 minutes of receiving the call.  2 extra keys were also cut in the van at a cost of £5 each, so her total bill £95.

In comparison with Budget locksmiths West Lothian

We asked the customer about any other quotes she received before we arrived. She told us she didn’t know any West Lothian Locksmiths. So she called a well known national locksmith company (we will not mention the name for legal reasons). She said it was the only locksmiths in west Lothian she knew off the top of her head. This national firm quoted her £70 for the first 30 minutes of labour, then £10 for every £10 minutes after the initial 30 mins. This basically equates to £100 if the job took 1 hour. She was then told that an extra £70 would be added to the price for a lock to be supplied and fitted. Not to mention the small matter of VAT to be added onto the final bill.

Budget West Lothian locksmiths bill v potential bill

So instead of the woman paying out the £95 she paid us (£85 without extra keys cut) she would have been stung with a potential bill for around £180 from this well know high street locksmith firm. Add in a couple of keys cut and her final tally could have been around the £195 mark, a whole £100 more expensive than us.
These are the kind of stories we encounter EVERY single day. unfortunately our industry is riddled with con men and opportunists. We are not against companies making a good profit and prospering. However we do not like seeing customers being ripped off.

Who are Budget Locksmiths West Lothian? How are our prices so low?

Budget locksmith West Lothian are a local company operating out of the west side of Edinburgh. Employing one full time locksmith and a part time locksmith. The company is located a stones throw away from areas such as Livingston, Kirkliston, Broxburn, East Calder, Mid Calder, Uphall and South Queensferry. This locality means we can deliver a speedy West Lothian locksmith services, at the drop of a hat, 24 hours a day.

We ONLY provide a mobile West Lothian locksmith service. Therefore we have no expensive overheads relating to business premises, such as rent and council tax. These savings are passed directly onto the customer. In addition to these savings, because our annual turnover is below the vat threshold we do not to add 20% onto our prices at the end of a job.

Local West Lothian Locksmiths v national companies

When some people require a locksmith, or any other service for that matter. They will usually type the service required into their mobile phone or laptop. They will then be presented with a variety of companies from the search results. Statistics show that most people will use one of the 3 companies at the top of the search results. The problem with this is that many of the companies who are at the top of the search results, are NOT local companies. They are national companies, who are usually located hundreds of miles from where the service is actually required. These national companies can charge fortunes compared to what a local locksmith firm will charge.

Pay per click

The reason a national companies prices are high compared to local locksmiths West Lothian, is due to a  pay per click campaign. For example, say someone is locked out and type ‘locksmith west Lothian’ into google. The first 3 to 4 adverts at the top of the screen are PAID adverts. The companies occupying these position PAY google every time someone clicks on their page. Sometimes these clicks can cost the company anywhere up to £30 a click, depending on the competitiveness of the trade. However, the national company will not absorb these costs. They will add them onto the customers bill by using clever wording, when giving a phone quote.

Commission work

Another reason national companies charge more than West Lothian locksmiths, is due to commission work.

For example, say someone is locked out their property. They may type ‘Locksmiths West Lothian’ in to google and choose a National company. This national company may quote the customer around £75 labour to get them back in the property. However, they fail to tell the customer that almost every time they send out a locksmith, the lock will be destroyed in the process of gaining entry. So the customer will then be charged for having a new lock being supplied and fitted. Then VAT may be added onto the final bill. So in a short period of time the final bill is very different from the original phone quote.

Will the door be opened without destroying the lock?

Even if the locksmith they provide is able to open the lock without destroying it, they will usually still destroy it. This is because the locksmith sent will be getting  paid around 30/40% commission on whatever the final bill is. It is not in the national locksmiths interests to open your door for £75, as they will only walk away with around a £25 commission fee. They would rather charge over £150 so they will walk away with £50+ in their pocket.
At Budget locksmiths West Lothian, we have no ulterior motives. We are 100% genuine, and never charge for work that doesn’t need done.

locksmith West Lothian: Common jobs we are called out to

Common job number 1

As an emergency West Lothian locksmith, probably the most common job we attend to is the Yale lockout! Usually someone will walk out their door, and it closes behind them. This can be due to a highly sprung door closer, or the person simply shuts the door, then realise the keys are still inside. Fortunately this type of job is very easy for an accomplished West Lothian locksmith. They should be able to open this type of lock 9 times out of 10 without destroying the lock, and usually within a few seconds.

How its done by Budget Locksmiths West Lothian

The first port of call on this type of lock, is to insert a special type plastic card into the gap of the door frame. This piece of card then pushes open the lock. If this doesn’t work we can insert special tools, a torch, and a mirror through the letterbox. From there the lock can be opened on the inside of the house from the other side of the door.
If the 2 above methods don’t work the final option is to pick open the lock.

Modern locks

Unfortunately these days locks have became harder and harder to pick. This is due to lock manufacturers adding more and more security features to out perform rival lock manufacturers. This means lock picking in modern times has become very hard for the present day locksmith. However, we still have a good success rate. Fortunately the first 2 methods of opening this type of lock usually always works, so lock picking is not required.

Locksmiths West Lothian: Common job number 2

The next most common job we attend is lock changing. This task is usually required for a number of reasons such as a lock malfunction, relationship breakdown, or people moving into a new property. We always recommend when buying or moving into a new property that you get the locks changed.
Any West Lothian locksmiths will tell you that burglars don’t always gain access to a property through a smashed window or forced door. Sometimes they simply insert a key into the lock and walk straight in. Unfortunately most people don’t know the full history of their property, and more importantly, who still has a key. For a better idea of what goes on, home security and crime statistics can be accessed through the West Lothian council website.

Lock changing prices of West Lothian locksmith service

Our locksmith West Lothian service come out to properties and change the locks for around £50, plus the price of the locks. We have a van full of locks designed to meet every need. From a simple cylinder, to state of the art British standard locks. All the locks we install are charged at around the same price as the customer would pay for them at the local hardware shop.

West Lothian Locksmith: UPVC door and window specialists

As homes are becoming more modern, they are being fitted with multi point locking doors and windows. Unfortunately unless these units are fitted perfectly, there is likely to be some resistance when locking them. Over time this resistance can take its toll on the working parts in the mechanism, and eventually break.

Both our West Lothian Locksmiths are considered to be UPVC specialists and can fix almost any door or window problem within the hour. Our UPVC work is charged on a fixed price basis of £65 plus parts, if required. Even if we are at your property all day our West Lothian locksmith will not charge a single penny more. This is the kind thing that separates us from the competition.

West Lothian locksmith: Emergency board up service

If you find yourself in the unfortunate scenario of having a smashed window or door. Give us a call straight away. One of our West Lothian locksmiths is a joiner to trade, and an expert in boarding up glass. If you call an emergency joiner, this kind of work can be charged at a couple of hundreds of pounds – depending on the day and time.

However, our Locksmith West Lothian engineer will happily patch up your glass for a charge of around £85, regardless of  the day or time.

West Lothian Locksmith: Here for you 24 hours a day 

We hope you now have an understanding of who we are, and how our locksmith West Lothian Service operates. We could go on more about who we are and what we do. However we feel this is a good description of our company, and the values we stick to. If you have ANY problems or issues to do with your home security, pick up the phone and call. We are happy to give free advice or a no obligation quote over the phone, 24 hours a day. Or if you would prefer one of our West Lothian Locksmiths to pop around that can be arrange too.