Complaints about such emergency services in consumer protection would keep coming in. In a press release on Tuesday, the interest group advises saving the number of a local provider on the phone or installing the meinaufsperrdienst.at app, which searches for local companies certified with a seal of approval if you have locked yourself out.
Costs between 49 and 250 euros
A current price comparison by AK with ten domestic providers shows that opening a door can cost between 49 and 250 euros, depending on whether the door just fell shut or is locked and whether the mishap happened during the day, at night or at the weekend. Additional effort and material costs, for example if a lock has to be replaced, increase the price.
Consumer advocates warn against hiring unknown companies from the Internet. Apparently local locksmiths often turn out to be companies with German mailboxes. Then, after a long wait, a car with a foreign number plate would pull up and the employees would bill you for excessive claims. Under no circumstances should you pay this in cash, but ask for a payment slip or at least only make a down payment. “If you feel under a lot of pressure, call the police,” insists the AK.
As a precaution, the interest group recommends saving the phone number of a company in the vicinity or posting it on the bulletin board and using the meinaufsperrdienst.at app. The cheapest option is of course to deposit a spare key with a trusted person in the neighborhood.
Source: Nachrichten
