24-hour locksmith allegedly scolds elderly woman for calling for service at 7am
Recently, a Facebook user alleged that a 24-hour locksmith scolded her and her elderly neighbour after they called him for help at around 7am.
The Original Poster (OP) reportedly shared the incident in several Facebook groups, but the posts have since been taken down.
The locksmith later took to social media to say he had repeatedly been harassed due to the accusations, which he claimed to be false.
He also filed a police report, which revealed that the incident occurred on Thursday (10 July) at Blk 701 Yishun Avenue 5.
Elderly woman gets locked out of home, neighbour calls locksmith
Based on a screenshot of the OP’s post shared on the subreddit r/SingaporeRaw on 11 July, she wrote that her next-door neighbour had been locked out of her unit due to a broken key.
Another concerned neighbour called a locksmith for help, while OP assisted the elderly woman.
Source: Reddit
The auntie then remembered she had a spare key in her bag, which was inside the house, and asked if the OP had a long stick to help retrieve it through the gate.
After successfully reaching the bag and unlocking the door, OP said they quickly called the locksmith to inform him that his service was no longer needed, but the auntie said she would still reimburse him for petrol.
Locksmith allegedly charges auntie S$80 despite no service provided
However, the locksmith “looked really angry” when he arrived, OP claimed.
He allegedly started scolding them, asking, “Wouldn’t you be angry if someone called you at 7am?”
The OP replied that he shouldn’t be scolding them, as he had advertised his services as being available 24 hours.
To diffuse the situation, the auntie asked the locksmith how much she should pay him for the inconvenience, to which he reportedly replied S$80.
After giving him the money, the auntie asked the locksmith if he could “at least check the door”, but he allegedly ignored her.
OP warns others about calling unfamiliar service providers
The OP shared that the auntie was tearful after the locksmith left.
“My heart ached so much at this moment. She’s still working hard at her age to support herself, and $80 means a lot to her,” OP lamented.
She said she shared the story to remind everyone, especially those assisting elderly family members or neighbours, to be careful when calling unfamiliar service providers.
“Let’s all try to look out for one another a little more. No one should be treated like that,” OP wrote.
Locksmith files police report after being harassed due to viral posts
Following the OP’s viral posts, the locksmith made a post on his Facebook page 新加坡开換锁服务Locksmith83880733 on 12 July, to clear up his name.
He said the accusations were unfair to him, causing him to be harassed and disrupting his business.
As a result, he has filed a police report, stating that he quoted the auntie’s other neighbour S$120 for the service and informed them that the service could not be cancelled once confirmed.
Source: 新加坡开換锁服务Locksmith83880733 on Facebook
He added that he was already at the foot of the block when OP called him to tell him that his services were no longer needed, but he still went up to the unit to follow up with his policy.
He said he asked for S$80 instead of S$120, which the elderly woman “was fine with paying” but claimed the OP was unhappy that he was still collecting a fee.
Later, the locksmith found out about OP’s viral posts regarding the incident, which he claimed contained false information and included a photo of his advertisement.
Despite the posts having already been taken down, he said this has caused him to receive calls from local and overseas numbers, harassing him.
Also read: Ang Mo Kio salon charges elderly man S$1K for S$8 haircut, chain admits to unfair practices
Ang Mo Kio salon charges elderly man S$1K for S$8 haircut, chain admits to unfair practices
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Featured image adapted from Reddit, 新加坡开換锁服务Locksmith83880733 on Facebook.
