Door slammed shut: avoiding damage and bad surprises
By FixNow24
What to try before calling, what damages the door, the documents the locksmith will ask for, and what really makes up the price of an opening.
Check before assuming the worst
A door that slammed shut is not a door locked with a key: the latch has simply dropped back. First check every possible way in, a terrace door, a window left ajar, a spare key with a relative or with the building caretaker.
Also check whether the key is still in the lock on the other side. The opening is trickier in that case, and the locksmith needs to know before travelling: say so in the description of your request, and you avoid a badly prepared visit.
What is better not to try
The loyalty card slipped into the door frame rarely works and scratches the frame. A screwdriver forced into the cylinder turns a simple opening into a full lock replacement, which costs far more. A snapped key cannot be pulled out with pliers or glue either.
Avoid calling the first number found on a sticker in the hallway. Always ask, before anyone travels, what the quoted price covers and whether an invoice will be issued. Without an invoice you have no recourse at all.
If the door is a security door, multi-point or armoured, say so from the start. The technique and the time needed are not the same, and a locksmith who discovers this on site loses time that you pay for.
What you will pay, and why
On FixNow24 the opening starts with a €35.00 call-out fee, paid when you send the request, covering the journey and the diagnosis. The indicative range for the opening itself runs from €8.48 to €1,908.00 incl. VAT at the 6 % rate, and from €9.68 to €2,178.00 incl. VAT at the 21 % rate, depending on the type of lock and on any damage.
The locksmith will ask you for proof that you live there: identity card showing that address, a lease, or recent post in your name. It is a safeguard against unlawful openings, and a serious professional always asks for it.
The firm price is given after examining the door, and you accept it in the app before anything is touched. If the cylinder has to be replaced, that is either part of the price or an additional quote you approve separately.
Finally, keep in mind what happens after the opening. If the cylinder was drilled, the door is no longer secure until a new one is fitted: ask the locksmith to replace it there and then rather than postponing. Have two copies of the new key cut and leave one with someone you trust or at work, which is the best protection against a second mishap. Check as well whether your home insurance covers a door opening: some policies refund part or all of the amount against the detailed invoice.