Locksmith
Locksmith refers to a company providing services in the field of locking technology and security technology . In addition to the delivery and installation of locks, (custom-made) locking systems , safes, etc., this includes, above all, door opening services for customers who want to get into their house or apartment and have lost the door key or who have been locked out by a slammed door were. This service is also called unlocking service , key emergency service, lock service or emergency opening service (especially if it takes place outside of shop opening hours).
Germany
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Two professional associations have established themselves in Germany: Interkey (since 1964) and the Federal Association of Safety Technology Germany (BSD). The term locksmith is not protected by law; There is no longer an independent job description in this segment. There used to be the lock and key maker apprenticeship, but this ceased due to a training reform in the 80s. This means that nowadays everyone can operate a locksmith if he has attended the courses to impart knowledge. Locksmithing is therefore not a trade .
In the mid-1960s, Mister Minit started opening small shops specializing in shoe soles and key manufacturing. When building shopping centers, the fast cobbler business model with a key cutting point was firmly planned and it was rented out to independent small businesses as a franchise . Gradually, the term locksmith with an extended range of services (almost always door openings; sometimes also assemblies) established itself for them .
The renaming of key cutting points for Locksmiths meant that many key services in safety engineering shop o. Ä. Renamed (also not a protected name and without an independent profession). The VdS Schadenverhütung (originated from the Verband der Schadenverhütung e.V.) is a 100% subsidiary of the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV) and certifies and monitors a.o. a. also specialist companies for mechanical security technology.
The spectrum of the original key service extends to elements from locksmiths, carpenters, glaziers and electrical installation trades. The VdS requires craft training with a master craftsman qualification in one of these trades as well as journeyman status in the remaining trades. Companies with VDS approval as installers of mechanical safety devices can offer a certain guarantee of technical qualification. Because of these high requirements, there are relatively few such establishments.
The term locksmith can refer to companies with a bandwidth from a key cutting point to a mechanic judge recognized by the VdS . In addition, many locksmiths offer the production of signs and engravings.
International
The pan-European umbrella organization for certified locksmiths and security companies is the European Locksmith Federation (ELF) . The American equivalent to this is the organization ALOA (Security Professionals Association), formerly "Associated Locksmiths of America". ALOA is the world's largest umbrella organization for locksmiths and locksmiths.
Consumer protection
A particular problem when looking for emergency services is the black sheep that are numerous in this branch . They pretend to be a local resident (on the Internet, in telephone and business directories or via telephone information agencies). Customers who hire you in good faith (assuming the commissioned company is local) are often confronted with high bills for long journeys. Travel costs are to be clarified in advance with the person seeking help, if this does not happen, you do not have to and should not assume the costs. “Entrepreneurs are obliged to inform consumers about the amount of delivery and travel costs before or at the latest when concluding a contract. Otherwise there is no entitlement to these costs "
In general, 56% of all locksmiths in Germany are too expensive, as a new survey on the prices of German locksmiths shows. Especially in rural regions, the black sheep can act carefree due to the lack of competition and rip off customers. According to the Bundesverband Metall, a simple door opening during the day should not cost more than € 127. As the study shows, however, some locksmiths significantly exceed this price. In the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, for example, there are locksmiths that charge € 250. This then counts as usury .
In cities like Hamburg, more and more calls are being made to the Hamburg police, asking them which service they recommend. No official is allowed to recommend an emergency service, only to point out some companies. There are contractual partners of the police who work with the authorities and are also considered local residents. These companies are contacted by tenders, which is required by law, and offers are checked. Internal experiences are then passed on to the VT (Verkehr & Technik) and then the ranking is based on the extent to which one continues to work with an emergency service. Complaints about services are frequent on Konsumenterschutz.de. Advertisers can register there for a fee, but the system is controversial.
Processes
A pensioner called a locksmith because she could no longer open her apartment door from the inside. She let a locksmith enter the apartment via the patio door. This did not manage to open the door. He smashed the door and sent a bill for 1,181 euros. The new door cost 1575 euros. The prosecution pleaded usury . The Düsseldorf District Court ruled in 2013 that this would only have been usury if the woman had been in a predicament . But you could leave the apartment through the patio door. The plaintiff has good prospects of claiming damages from the locksmith (for the unnecessarily destroyed door) by means of a civil law suit.
Another process that can be important for locksmith companies occurred at the beginning of 2014. The landlord of a house near Heidelberg demanded an advance payment from his tenant to replace the locking system because he had lost a key. It was a total of 1500 euros. After the tenant's revision, the process reached the Federal Court of Justice , which finally decided that the landlord had to bear the costs until the locking system was actually replaced.
Furthermore, the Cologne District Court has issued a judgment. The apartment door had slammed and a locksmith with a local number was called. The local phone number simulated a local presence that actually wasn't there. The company suffered a loss in court in 2013. A lawyer from Rösrath had sued the company and was right on all points. The locksmith had to repay part of the cost. In the case described, the district court held the door opening costs of 444.46 euros too high and sentenced the locksmith to repay 351.66 euros. This also includes the compensation for an incorrectly removed lock cylinder. The commissioned company had to bear the costs of the procedure. In another judgment, the Hamburg-Altona district court had already ruled that costs of 520 euros were not reasonable.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ admin: Locksmith training - Locksmith consumer protection. Retrieved on July 10, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Patrick: Training as a locksmith. In: Skills in Crafts. August 30, 2017, accessed March 6, 2020 .
- ^ What Does a Professional Locksmith / Security Professional Do? In: Aloa - Security Professionals Association, Inc. Retrieved March 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Close the door? Select locksmith carefully despite an emergency. In: Hamburger Abendblatt , January 9, 2013
- ↑ Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG: Travel expenses never again without warning! Accessed May 31, 2020 .
- ↑ The largest study on locksmiths in Germany. In: mellon. Retrieved on July 10, 2020 (German).
- ^ Federal Association of Metal. Retrieved on July 10, 2020 (German).
- ^ BILD Düsseldorf, June 1, 2013
- ↑ Judgment of July 22, 2013, Az .: 137 C 636/12
- ↑ Az .: 316 C 340/09