You are standing outside your own door, it is dark, your phone is at 12 percent and you search for help. The first listing looks local. The person who answers says a lockout is "$15 for the service call, $35 and up for the lock". That sounds fair, so you say yes.
An hour later the bill is $255, the old lock is in pieces on the step, and the "locksmith" would rather be paid in cash.
None of this is rare. The Better Business Bureau has warned about it for years, and a CTV undercover test in Vancouver recorded almost exactly that script: a website advertising a $15 service call and $35 lockouts, then a $255 charge for an ordinary five-pin lock. The pattern is the same in Ottawa. This guide walks through how it works, the questions that expose it before anyone drives over, and what to do if you have already paid.
How the scam works, step by step
Most versions follow the same five steps.
- The listing. The ad or map listing looks like a local shop. It may borrow the name, colours or logo of a real Ottawa locksmith. The phone number goes to a call centre that sends whoever is nearby.
- The phone call. The person who answers says "Locksmith services" instead of a business name. They give a very low number, often $15 to $40, and add "and up" or "depends on the lock" almost too quietly to hear.
- The arrival. Someone shows up in a personal car with no company name. They look at your lock and discover a "complication": high-security pins, a hard-to-pick brand, a lock that is "too old".
- The drill. Instead of picking the lock, which takes a trained locksmith a few minutes on most house locks, they drill it out. Now you need a new lock as well, and they happen to have one in the car.
- The bill. The service call, the "labour", the drilling, the new lock and a night fee add up to several hundred dollars. You are offered a discount for cash, which also means no receipt.
The reason it works is simple: you are locked out, you are stressed, and walking away means staying locked out. Scammers count on that.
Red flags on the phone
You can catch most of this in the first minute of the call. Listen for these:
- No business name. A real company answers with its name. "Locksmith, how can I help?" is a warning.
- A price that is too low to be real. No one drives across Ottawa at night for $15. A real quote for a lockout covers the trip, the time and the work, and it is given as a range for your situation, not a teaser.
- "And up" with no ceiling. Ask: "What is the most this will cost for a standard deadbolt?" If they will not give you a top number, hang up.
- No straight answer about drilling. Ask: "Will you try to pick the lock before drilling?" The honest answer is yes. Most residential locks can be opened without damage.
- They will not say where they are. Ask for the company's legal name and where it is based. A local business can tell you.
The phone scam check on our home page runs through these questions with you, in case you want a checklist in front of you while you dial.
Red flags at the door
If someone is already on the way, these signs at arrival should make you pause before any work starts:
- An unmarked vehicle and no ID. A reputable locksmith will show you a business card, an invoice book or a company ID. Ask for it.
- They do not ask for yours. A responsible locksmith wants proof that you live there: ID with the address, a lease or a utility bill. Someone who opens any door for anyone is not protecting your home either.
- The price changes before they touch the lock. "This is a high-security lock, it will be more" said in the first ten seconds is part of the script.
- They reach for the drill first. Drilling is a last resort for locks that are damaged, failed inside or genuinely high security. It should never be the opening move, and you should be told before it happens.
- Cash only, or a discount for cash. In the CTV test, the BBB called the "no tax if you pay cash" offer a deceptive practice. Paying by card gives you a way to dispute the charge later.
You are allowed to send someone away before work begins. If the price on your doorstep is not the price on the phone, say no and call someone else.
What a fair locksmith call looks like
So you know what normal sounds like, here is how a straightforward lockout call usually goes:
| Step | What a good locksmith does |
|---|---|
| On the phone | Gives the business name, asks what kind of lock and door, and quotes a price or a tight range before sending anyone |
| Timing | Tells you roughly when they will arrive and calls if that changes |
| At the door | Shows ID, asks for yours, and confirms the price before starting |
| The work | Picks or bypasses the lock in most cases; explains clearly if drilling is truly needed and what that adds |
| Payment | Takes card as well as cash and gives you a written invoice with the business name on it |
If anything on that list is missing, ask why.
What Ontario law says about a bill far above the quote
Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 protects you here. If your agreement includes an estimate, the supplier cannot charge you more than 10 per cent above it unless you agree to the new price. The province's own guidance says that if you are charged more than that without agreeing to it, you can demand that the price be adjusted.
Two things make that rule much easier to use:
- Get the estimate in writing before work starts. A text or an email with the price is far better than a memory of a phone call. Ask for it while they are on the way.
- Do not agree to "extras" on the spot without a number. If they say the job has changed, ask for the new total, in writing, before you say yes.
There is also something Ontario does not have: a locksmith licence. A bill to license locksmiths was put before the legislature in 1996 and never became law. That means a "licence" waved at you on the doorstep proves very little. A real business name, an address, insurance and a written price matter more.
If you have already been overcharged
If the bill has landed and it feels wrong, here is what to do, in this order:
- Ask for an itemised invoice with the business name, address and phone number. If they refuse, write down the vehicle plate and description.
- If you paid by card, call your card issuer and ask about disputing the charge. The BBB recommends paying locksmiths by credit card for exactly this reason.
- Write down what happened while it is fresh: the number you called, the time, the quoted price, what was said at the door, and the final bill.
- File a complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario if you were charged more than 10 per cent over an estimate or misled about the price.
- Report it to the BBB's Scam Tracker. Reports help warn the next person who searches at midnight.
- Rekey or replace the lock if you have any doubt about the person who was at your door. They now know where you live and they handled your lock. See our page on rekeying and lock changes.
The five-minute fix: find a locksmith before you need one
The single best defence is boring: choose a locksmith before you are locked out. Look up a local business when you are calm, check that it has a real name, real reviews and a straight answer about price, and save the number in your phone under "Locksmith".
The same goes for your car. If you drive, save a car locksmith as well. Car lockouts happen in parking lots at the worst possible time, and the same scam runs there too.
Quick answers
Is it normal for a locksmith to drill a lock?
Not as a first step. Most residential locks can be picked or bypassed without damage. Drilling is for locks that are broken inside, damaged, or genuinely high security, and you should be told why before it happens.
How much should a lockout cost in Ottawa?
It depends on the lock, the door and the time of day, which is why a real locksmith asks questions before quoting. What matters most is that you get the price before anyone comes, and that the price at the door matches it. Be most suspicious of the lowest number, not the highest.
Can I refuse to pay if the price changed?
If an estimate was part of your agreement, Ontario law limits the final bill to 10 per cent above it unless you agreed to a new price. If you are in that situation, keep your records and contact Consumer Protection Ontario. For anything beyond that, talk to a legal clinic or a lawyer, because every case is different.
How do I know a locksmith is local?
Ask for the legal business name and where it is based, then look it up. A local business has a consistent name across its website, its map listing and its invoices, and it answers the phone with that name.
If you are locked out right now, The Ottawa Locksmith gives you the price on the phone before anyone drives over, picks before it drills, and takes card. See how an emergency lockout works with us.