Our terms & how we look after you

Who we are

A quick hello before the formal bits.

KeyWise 24hr Locksmiths is a family-run locksmith based in Holbury, Southampton, working for homes and families across Southampton and the Waterside. You can reach us on 07453 327708 or 02381 550025, or at donald@keywise.net. Throughout these terms, “we” and “us” means KeyWise 24hr Locksmiths, and “you” means you, our customer.

Our quotes and prices

Honest numbers, confirmed before we start.

The prices we give — on our price calculator, over the phone or by message — are honest starting points based on what you have told us. We will always confirm the final price with you on site, once we can see the job, before we start any chargeable work. There is no call-out fee and no VAT, so a call to us costs you nothing. A written quote is valid for 30 days from the date we give it.

Why some prices are a range

Gearboxes and mortice locks, explained honestly.

For uPVC gearbox and mortice lock replacements we sometimes quote a price range rather than a single figure. That is because the exact part can only be confirmed once the failed unit is out and we can measure it — the maker’s pattern is stamped inside the door — and rarer, older or obsolete sizes cost more to source. Most jobs land at the lower end. We will always tell you where you sit in the range, and agree the exact figure with you, before we fit anything.

Getting you in without damage

Our first promise on every door.

We treat your property as if it were our own. On a lockout or a mortice job we always try non-destructive entry first and keep any disruption to a minimum. Nine times out of ten you would never know we had been, apart from a door that works properly again.

When entry needs more

The rare last-resort jobs, and where you stand.

Occasionally — usually a seized or failed mortice lock in a timber door — the only way in is to drill or force the lock as a last resort. We will only ever do this once you have authorised it, and we will explain why first. We keep any damage as small as possible: most drill points sit behind the handle or escutcheon and are hidden the moment the new lock and furniture go on, and in the worst case we fit a neat cover plate. Where damage is the unavoidable consequence of that authorised entry, carried out with reasonable care, that is not something we can accept liability for. This does not exclude our responsibility to work with reasonable care and skill — if damage is caused by our failing to do that, your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (section 49) are fully unaffected.

Proof of entitlement

A small check that keeps everyone safe.

For everyone’s protection, on a lockout or entry job we may ask for ID and reasonable proof that you are entitled to access the property (for example that you are the owner or tenant) before we carry out the work. It is standard practice for a trustworthy locksmith, and it keeps people and their homes safe.

Payment

Simple, and no surprises.

Payment is due on completion unless we have agreed otherwise in writing. We accept cash, card and bank transfer. We do not charge VAT and there is no call-out fee. For rare or special-order parts we may occasionally ask for a deposit, which we will always agree with you first.

Our 12-month guarantee & looking after your door

The part we are proudest of.

We stand behind our work. Every part we fit is guaranteed for 12 months from the date of the job, and the labour that goes with it. Timber and uPVC doors naturally swell, shrink and shift with the weather and as a building settles, and that movement puts extra wear on locks and multipoint mechanisms — the first sign is usually a stiff or notchy feeling when you lock up. Locks last far longer with the occasional adjustment and a bit of lubrication, and keeping a door adjusted through the seasons is normal upkeep rather than a fault, so routine adjustment is not itself a warranty claim. But please do not sit on it: if you feel the door has dropped or something is not right, call us — the call-out is always free, and we only charge for labour (and any parts) if it genuinely needs work beyond a quick adjustment. Any part that fails within its guarantee we will put right, and we will also claim under the manufacturer’s own warranty on your behalf wherever a part is covered. None of this affects your statutory rights.

Your statutory rights come first

Always, no matter what.

Nothing in these terms reduces your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. By law, we must carry out our service with reasonable care and skill, and any parts we supply must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. Our 12-month guarantee and aftercare are in addition to those rights, never instead of them.

Your right to cancel

Changed your mind? That is fine.

If you booked with us off-premises or at a distance (for example over the phone or online), you normally have the right to cancel within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. If you have asked us to start urgent work within that period, as with most emergency call-outs, you can still cancel, but you may be asked to pay for any work already carried out at your request up to that point. To cancel, just call or message us.

Insurance and standards

Covered, and fitted to the right spec.

We carry public liability insurance and we are DBS checked. Where you ask for a British Standard lock (for example BS 3621 for your home insurance), we will fit a lock meeting that standard and tell you if what is right for your particular door differs from what you first asked for. We fit insurance-spec, Sold Secure and TS 007 rated hardware as standard where security matters.

If something is not right

Tell us — we will make it right.

Your peace of mind matters to us more than anything. If you are ever unhappy, please contact us straight away and we will do our best to put it right quickly and fairly. Our 5.0-star rating across 295+ Google reviews is built on doing exactly that, every single time.

Governing law

The legal footing.

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute will be subject to the courts of England and Wales.

Who these terms are for

First, the quick who’s-who. When these terms say KeyWise, that’s me and my business, the contractor doing the work. You, or the Customer, means the business, company, organisation, landlord, managing agent or other commercial account I’m working for. And accepting these terms means giving me the go-ahead in any clear way: a written yes by email, WhatsApp or text, a signed quote, a purchase order, a verbal instruction to crack on, or simply letting me start the work.

How the agreement is formed

These terms cover every commercial quote, estimate, invoice and work order I give you, unless we’ve agreed something different in writing. The moment you accept a quote or tell me to go ahead, you’re accepting these terms too. If your business has its own purchase terms, they don’t apply unless I’ve agreed to them in writing, just so we both know exactly where we stand.

Quotations

Unless I’ve said otherwise: my quotes stand for 30 days; prices are before VAT where VAT applies; anything extra you ask for once I’ve started is charged on top; and if a door hides a fault I couldn’t see, or something unexpected turns up, it may need extra labour or parts. Wherever I reasonably can, I’ll check with you before carrying on, I don’t like surprises on a bill any more than you do.

Payment terms

Unless we’ve agreed otherwise in writing, payment is due within 14 calendar days of the invoice date. For a first-time account, or where we haven’t set up credit terms, I may ask for payment straight away on completion. And until an invoice is paid in full, any parts I’ve supplied stay mine, that’s ‘retention of title’ in the legal wording.

If a payment runs late

If an invoice isn’t paid by the due date, the account is in default, and honestly I’d always rather a quick phone call than let it get that far. Once it does, I reserve the right to: charge contractual interest of 2% a month on the overdue balance, worked out daily; or instead rely on my statutory rights under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 where that applies; recover reasonable debt-recovery, tracing, legal and court costs where the law allows; pause current and future work until the balance is cleared; and withdraw any credit terms we’d agreed.

Debt recovery

If it ever comes to chasing a debt, you agree I can put it in the hands of a debt-collection agent or a solicitor. You’d stay responsible for the outstanding amount, along with any interest, statutory compensation and recoverable legal costs the law allows. I’d far rather never use this paragraph, but it needs to be here.

Getting me access

Please give me safe access to the property. If I’m held up by access that isn’t available, a representative who isn’t there, site restrictions or other trades in the way, that lost time may mean an additional charge, only ever for genuine delays outside my control.

Parts and materials

Replacement parts can look slightly different depending on what the manufacturer has available. Where it makes sense, I’ll fit an equivalent or better-quality part, never a cheaper substitute behind your back.

Damage that was already there

Sometimes a job uncovers problems that were there before I arrived, a warped door, a failed mechanism, corrosion, movement in the building, or a previous repair that wasn’t done right. I can’t take responsibility for those pre-existing faults, but I’ll always show you and explain what I’ve found.

Non-destructive entry

I’ll always try to get in without damage first, that’s the craft. If destructive entry is genuinely the only way, your go-ahead, or that of your authorised representative, counts as consent for the reasonable damage needed to gain access. I keep it to the absolute minimum, every time.

Warranty

The labour is guaranteed for the period shown on your invoice, and manufacturer warranties on parts run to the maker’s own terms. The guarantee doesn’t cover misuse, accidental damage, third-party repair attempts, vandalism, forced entry, normal wear and tear, or movement in the building or doors, fair, I think you’ll agree.

Cancellation

If I’ve booked a job in specifically for you and you cancel after I’ve ordered materials or sent an engineer out, there may be a reasonable cancellation charge to cover what’s already been spent.

Where my liability sits

Nothing here limits my liability for death or personal injury, fraud, or anything the law simply won’t let me exclude, and I wouldn’t want it to. Beyond that, I’m not liable for indirect or knock-on losses, lost profit, business interruption, lost contracts or lost revenue. My total liability won’t exceed the value of the invoice for the work in question, unless the law provides otherwise.

Things outside my control

I can’t be held responsible for delays caused by things I genuinely can’t control, severe weather, supplier shortages, transport disruption, strikes, government action or other events nobody saw coming. I’ll always keep you posted if something like that hits.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute goes to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

The whole agreement

These terms, together with the quote you’ve accepted, are the full agreement between us, unless we’ve agreed something else in writing.