Dallas Man Says Locksmith Caused Nearly $3,000 in Door Damage

After a fun night on the town with friends, Deon Johnson found himself locked out of his apartment.

"It was extremely frustrating," he said. 

Johnson said he called maintenance and was told because it was after hours, he was told to call a locksmith.

He said he googled "Dallas Locksmith" and found a dispatch number.

"She said someone would be here in 20 minutes. But that was at 12 a.m. and they didn’t get here til about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning."

He said someone from Marshall Locksmith showed up and tried to pump the door using an airbag method, but that didn’t work.

"So, he went back down to get something else. He came back with a flat head and a crow bar.  I was like, 'Is this going to cause any damage?' He said, 'No, it’s not going to cause any damage at all,'" Johnson explained.

But it did cause damage.

According to his apartment complex, the door would cost nearly $3,000 to fix. 

And Johnson was responsible for paying for it.

"My apartment was letting me know if I don’t pay it, then they’re going to take my rent and apply it to that balance and I’ll be evicted and have late fees," he said. 

Johnson said he reached out to the Marshall Locksmith to file a claim.

But he said he was told by a manager that they would refund him the $108 he paid for the service, but would not be paying for the door.

So, Johnson called me in to investigate.

After doing some digging, I realized we’ve dealt with this locksmith company before.  

You may remember our previous story on Avenue Locksmith, which also went by Supreme Locksmith and 24/7 Mobile Locksmith.

The owner is Matan Abuhazira.

His business was accused of overcharging customers and damaging property.

They even caught the attention of the Texas Department of Public Safety, which opened a formal investigation into the business.

We've since learned that they changed their name once again to Marshall Locksmith, the business that damaged Johnson's door.

"I was going to have to pay the $3,000," he said.  "My door is still damaged. If anyone was to come off the street, they can just push my door and use a flathead to get in."

I reached out to Marshall Locksmith about Johnson's case, and the company quickly responded.

An office manager told me the technician who damaged Johnson's door has been let go for damaging property.

She said since the state opened its investigation into their company, they’ve really gotten their act together.

The manager confirmed that they changed their business name to Marshall Locksmith and have handled consumer complaints swiftly.

She told me she wasn’t aware of the conversation Johnson had with another manager, but said she’d be filing a claim with their insurance right away.

But I reached out to Johnson's apartment complex and explained the situation, just in case the locksmith company didn’t come through.

After I reached out, the complex said Johnson was no longer responsible for fixing the damage.

They installed a new door that same week.

Johnson said he’s happy, but is putting Marshall Locksmith on notice that their old ways will not be tolerated in North Texas.

"There are hardworking people out here and this is wrong," he said. 

If you ever find yourself locked out, here are tips from the Texas Department of Public Safety:  

• Consumers are encouraged to obtain the name of the locksmith and expected charges beforehand.

• They can check to see if a company or locksmith is licensed by the department here.

• Consumers may request to see a locksmith’s pocket card to verify their credentials.

• Contact the Better Business Bureau.

• Record the locksmith’s vehicle information and/or take a picture of the vehicle.