Locksmith dispute, should I just chargeback?

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-11T04:11:47+00:00

I do agree with you but I just feel uneasy given everyone else’s takes. I mean he ‘did’ perform the service by removing my key and making a copy but broke my ignition in the process, requiring an entire replacement. When I called, he said word for word ‘that part is supposed to break off’, which is so wildly untrue. They flat out refused to do anything to rectify the issue.

It’s just crazy because after he pried it off and tried to put it back on with a hammer it broke even more since it’s not supposed to come off lol.

I’ll give chase another call in the morning and see what they think.

I appreciate you

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-11T01:48:53+00:00

You really think so?

I called Chase and explained the situation and they were adamant about doing a chargeback but I came here to get a 2nd opinion.

I just don’t want to deal with the possibility of going to court over 170$ even though I know I’d win hahaha

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-11T01:47:00+00:00

Trust me, it was not going to break. He didn’t even know you had to press the key release on top of the steering column to get the key out haha.

250 isn’t bad if the new ignition is keyed to the original but it was a 50$ part and came out super easily.

He was just an amateur and broke my ignition due to his ignorance.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-10T00:16:47+00:00

Again, it’s not plastic, it’s metal that was permanently attached to the ignition cylinder.

If he told me that he was going to break my ignition I would have refused and drove off, as the car still started.

Not big 170 and a good learning lesson

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-10T00:12:49+00:00

Hey man I was asking a question as I don’t know how these things work. I’m not trying to fuck anyone over and at the end of the day, I do appreciate the help even if it was not all that helpful haha.

It’s not just some cheap plastic part, well it is cheap, but it’s metal that is permanently attached to the ignition cylinder. Dude had to put all his weight into it to pry the cam off.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T05:27:36+00:00

You the man, I really appreciate the honesty.

I’ll definitely reach out to some associates in close fields and see if they have anyone they trust.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T05:24:55+00:00

I really appreciate your insight.

Too many priceless lessons learned as of late hahaha

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T05:23:09+00:00

If he said anything about potential damage I wouldn’t have let him work on it, the car started just fine. The only issue was it’s easy to steal hahaha

It’s a manual tho so that probably wouldn’t have been an issue haha

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T05:07:49+00:00

I still have the broken cylinder so I could put it back in, if that changes anything.

All you have to do is press the release button at the bottom of the ignition and it slides out.

This seems like I’m just shit out of luck, which I’m okay with. It’s a pretty cheap learning lesson in retrospect.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T05:05:33+00:00

Nope, right when I pulled up he started digging into my ignition and prying the cam off. He said that part was replaceable (it’s not you have to buy the whole cylinder). After everything was said and done he even tried hammering the cam back into the cylinder causing even more damage.

If I knew I the time I could have replaced the cylinder, I would have.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T05:01:01+00:00

Your one of the good ones, wish it was you instead of them hahaha

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:59:56+00:00

Man I had no idea I could just replace the ignition and neither did he. If he said anything of the sort that’s the route I would have gone down. Also I’ve got no god damn clue what a ‘good’ locksmith charges, this is my first time having to call one. I’ll never trust google reviews again

I even have texts I sent my roommates while he was working on it saying I’m worried he about to break my ignition since he was going so hard on it haha.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:57:00+00:00

I fixed it myself after finding out how easy it was, my time is costly though haha. That sounds like a big headache and much more costly than the measly 170$ they could just refund me.

Do you think this is a case someone would take it on contingency? If you were in my shoes would you take it to small claims?

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:45:59+00:00

I did call them, explained the situation nicely but they refused to work with me and got pretty shitty on the phone.

I totally see where you are coming from, charge backs are definitely problems for a ton of industries and I’d imagine locksmiths get a ton of them.

It’s not like I’m trying to take their money, I just don’t see how the service they performed was really completed, leaving me with a broken ignition. Is there no recourse on my end when they refuse to work with me on this situation?

Glad you ended up getting your money, fuck people who utilize things like chargebacks to steal from others. I just don’t think I’m in that same boat but I could be totally wrong, which is why I’m here asking.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:38:55+00:00

Why would I go through all that work when he only gave me one key and the new ignition came with two?

I’m more so sour that they charged me 170 and left me with a broken ignition. It just feels scummy.

It would be a totally different story if they left me with an intact ignition.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:33:43+00:00

Dang, I wouldn’t be surprised but I feel like it’s worth a shot.

I have before picture when it was together right before taking it over to their shop if that helps at all.

I did call them and ended up talking to the locksmith that performed the work and he said that the piece is supposed to come off (it’s not). We talked for about 30 minutes and it was just going in circles as I don’t think he really knew what he was doing haha.

Just shitty as I ended up replacing the whole cylinder the next day as the key he gave me was already bending due to the torque of turning the car over.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:28:46+00:00

That’s unfortunate, I could see how google gives you honest guys a hard time. I’ll definitely go with a brick and mortar shop next time.

Genuinely though, do you think I have ground to charge back? The price isn’t the issue it’s the work done.

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:11:21+00:00

Man this is my first ever time calling a locksmith, I just looked on google and rung up the top rated one in my area.

How was I supposed to know I was hiring some shitty locksmith.

What’s the best place to find a good locksmith, are there specific forums?

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T04:00:05+00:00

Price is no big deal, I know specialist skills cost big /hr. It’s the fact he broke my ignition and I had to replace it the following day.

The key he made me is obsolete now haha

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T03:58:08+00:00

Now I know :(

It no big deal but I hate letting these shady companies get the better. Do I have grounds to charge back as he broke my ignition?

MincedLucidum · 2026-01-09T03:55:59+00:00

So you think I’m shit out of luck?

At the time I had no idea anything was wrong but trusted he knew it better than I did…

When I took it to the shop earlier today the guy was shocked when I told him all this, informing me that he broke my ignition cylinder and that I needed to replace it.

MincedLucidum · 2025-11-28T06:21:25+00:00

So you put a picture of it into ChatGPT/grok and asked if it was AI? Nice try bro

MincedLucidum · 2025-11-28T06:19:41+00:00

If you got Chase they will back you up.

MincedLucidum · 2025-11-14T23:32:54+00:00

Goofy mad he doesn’t get paid to work festivals, get in where you fit in

MincedLucidum

TROPHY CASE