Checklist

Work down this page

One page, four stages, in the order they happen. Tick as you go — the boxes are just for you, nothing is saved or sent anywhere. Print it and put a copy in a drawer, because the moment you need it is the moment you cannot read calmly.

Before anything else: if a child, a vulnerable adult or an animal is shut inside, or there is fire, gas or flooding, call999. Do not wait for a locksmith.

1Before you call

Search the company name on the MLA directoryA logo on a website is an image file. Verify membership at locksmiths.co.uk, on the association’s own site.
Check the company on Companies HouseFree, thirty seconds. Look for active status and how long it has traded.
Read three reviews properly, ignoring the starsLook for reviews that mention the price matching the quote. That is the thing you care about.
If you rent — ring the landlord or agent firstThey may hold keys, and some tenancies say who pays. Commissioning your own locksmith without asking is how disputes start.

2On the phone

What is the total I will pay — callout, labour, parts and VAT included?The callout fee is the smallest number in the transaction and the one they will happily give you. Ask for the total instead.
Can you text me that figure now, before you set off?A written quote is very hard to argue with later. Asking for one immediately separates the professionals from the rest.
Do you expect to open it without drilling?Most standard UK domestic locks can be opened without damage. Drilling means you also buy a new lock and pay to fit it.
What is your company name and address?A real locksmith has premises. A lead-generation call centre has a list of boroughs.
Are you the company attending, or are you subcontracting?If someone else turns up, you need to know who you actually contracted with.
How long until you arrive?A firm that cannot estimate this is dispatching your job to whoever bites.

3On the doorstep

Ask for ID and the company nameCheck it is the company you rang. If it is not, ask why before they start.
Photograph the vehicleDiscreetly if you prefer. It is a record, and records matter later.
Confirm the texted price still stands — out loud, before tools come outA price that changes on the doorstep is the clearest warning sign there is.
Ask again whether they will drill, and whyThe answer should be specific to your lock, not a general statement about difficulty.

4Paying

Pay by card, never cash under pressureCash leaves no chargeback, no Section 75 claim, and nothing to take to your bank.
Insist on an itemised invoiceParts and labour as separate figures. "Emergency locksmith services" is not an invoice.
Do not sign a blank or vague job sheetYou are signing agreement to whatever gets written in later.
Keep the old lock and the new packagingIf you paid for a TS007 3-star or Sold Secure Diamond cylinder, the box proves what went into your door.

If it has already gone wrong. Under UK consumer law a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and where no price was agreed in advance you are required to pay only areasonable price. An invoice is a claim, not a verdict. Keep everything, contactCitizens Advice, and ring your bank about a chargeback promptly — these routes have time limits.

More detail: what it should cost ·check a quote against the range ·how the scam works ·checking a locksmith is genuine