Is Locksmaster / General Services Ltd a scam?

Locksmaster (locksmaster.co.uk) advertises as a local locksmith but issues invoices under a different company name — General Services Ltd. Multiple Trustpilot reviewers have confirmed this invoice name mismatch. Charges of £838 for a single lock change have been documented, along with door damage and threatening behaviour by operatives.

How do I get my money back from Locksmaster / General Services Ltd?

If you paid by credit card over £100 you have a legal right to a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. If you paid by debit card request a chargeback immediately. Report to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

What company name appears on the Locksmaster / General Services Ltd invoice?

Invoices from this operation are issued under General Services Ltd — not Locksmaster. This deliberate mismatch makes chargebacks more difficult. When consumers report the invoice company name they get redirected to a completely different Trustpilot page with fewer reviews.

Locksmaster / General Services Ltd — Locksmith Scam

If you received an invoice from this company

If your invoice says General Services Ltd but you called a locksmith you found online — you may have been charged by the Locksmaster operation. Multiple consumers have confirmed this invoice name mismatch on Trustpilot. Report to Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.

What we know

Advertising name	Locksmaster
Invoice name	General Services Ltd — DIFFERENT from advertising name
Website	locksmaster.co.uk
Trustpilot	117 reviews — majority negative — uk.trustpilot.com/review/locksmaster.co.uk

Documented consumer harm

£838 charged to change a lock — door and door frame damaged in the process. Intimidation and threatening behaviour used to ensure payment. Invoice from General Services — not Locksmaster.

Police intervention documented — a police officer driving past stopped her vehicle and intervened when she witnessed aggressive behaviour by an operative at a residential address.

Invoice name mismatch confirmed by multiple Trustpilot reviewers — consumers who left reviews under Locksmaster were unaware the company also operates under General Services Ltd until they received the invoice.

What to do if you were charged by Locksmaster / General Services Ltd

Call your bank immediately

Credit card payments over £100 — Section 75. Debit card — chargeback. Do this today. The sooner the better.

Report to Trading Standards

Citizens Advice — 0808 223 1133. Give them the company name on the invoice, the amount quoted, and the amount charged.

Report to Action Fraud

0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk — especially if the invoice came from a different company name than the one you called.

Report to Ofcom

Report the phone number you called at ofcom.org.uk — this can get the number suspended and shut down the operation.

💰 Was VAT charged on your invoice?

Check the VAT number on your invoice at gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number. If it does not exist or does not match the company name — that is a criminal offence. If VAT was collected but not paid to HMRC — also criminal. Report both to HMRC anonymously.

Report VAT Fraud to HMRC → 📞 HMRC Fraud Hotline: 0800 788 887

All information on this page is based on publicly available sources including Trustpilot, Companies House, Reddit, and consumer review platforms. This is an independent public interest resource not affiliated with any organisation.

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