A pensioner left locked out of her home in the dark believes she was ripped off by a “rogue trader” who charged a staggering £1,600 to get her into the property.

Jayne Marney paid the eye-watering bill after being told the job had been carried out at the “going rate”.

But the retired 68-year-old later discovered other locksmiths would have charged less than £300 for the same work.

“I feel like a fool, but at the time I just wanted to get in and feel secure,” she told KentOnline.

“I felt I had no option other than to pay him.”

Mrs Marney’s ordeal began at about 9pm last Tuesday when she returned to her home in Ashford following a dog walk with her daughter.

Several attempts to unlock the front door failed, so she called an emergency locksmith out of desperation.

“The key just kept spinning in the lock,” she said.

“I asked my daughter to get a number for a locksmith and she found the contact details for a company called Trust 24/7 Locksmith.

“It was a London number, which made us think it was a nationwide company, but obviously someone local was contacted because within 10 minutes the guy arrived.”

Mrs Marney says the man did not try her key in the door until she insisted and made no attempt to pick the lock - measures other professionals say are standard practice.

She says he instead told her the mechanism - the part that bolts the door - needed to be replaced, but said he could not give her a cost until it had been removed.

“It was dark and cold outside and we had no means to access the house,” Mrs Marney said.

“Feeling I had no other choice, I told him to proceed.”

Mrs Marney says the man started drilling out what he described as “a very expensive and high-security lock”, and completed the job within 20 minutes.

He then asked for payment of £1,599.60, presenting a card reader to Mrs Marney so she could settle the bill.

“I was amazed at the price - I just thought it was so expensive,” she said.

“He had made no effort to explain what he was doing or how much it would cost.

“When I said it was a bit more expensive than I thought he just shook his head and said that it was the going rate.

“He was clenching the keys and held a card reader out. I felt that I had no option other than to pay him, otherwise he wasn’t going to give me the keys.

“I believe he took advantage of us. Had I been a 6ft bloke, I doubt he would have done that.”

Mrs Marney paid the invoice, which broke down the costs of the job, showing she had been charged £89 for the callout, £150 labour, £369 for “door opening”, £140 for a cylinder lock, and £585 for a new mechanism.

While sure she had been overcharged, it was only when Mrs Marney attempted to claim a refund from the estate agent which manages her rented property that her suspicions were confirmed.

“They nearly fell through the floor when I told them how much it was,” she said.

“I thought it was dear, but I had no idea what the going rate was.”

Feeling hard done by, Mrs Marney made an official complaint to Trading Standards and sought three quotes from other locksmiths for the same work, with the highest coming in at £285.

“They were all horrified, but not surprised as it apparently happens a lot,” she said.

“I also called the locksmith the next day and he refused to refund me any money and told me to go through the company.

“I then emailed them and received a reply four days later, on a Sunday evening.

“All it said was that they would look into it, and I have heard nothing since.”

One of the locksmiths Mrs Marney contacted for a quote decided to come out to look at the work that had been carried out.

“He said the mechanism, which the original locksmith had charged £585 for, hadn’t been changed at all, in his opinion,” she said.

“I was also told it wasn't a high-security lock.”

KentOnline called Ashford-based Lockrite Locksmiths to ask staff there about the price Mrs Marney had been charged.

“To have a four-figure bill is virtually impossible for one lock,” said the firm’s Rob Mitchell, adding: “It makes no sense. You could replace the entire door for £700-800.”

Mr Mitchell says when attending emergency call-outs, drilling out locks is always the last resort.

“The fact this man has not attempted to pick the lock rings alarm bells straight away,” he said.

“A good locksmith will do everything they can before they resort to drilling out the lock.”

Mr Mitchell says a cylinder lock, where the key is inserted, typically costs no more than £60 - way below the £140 Mrs Marney was charged.

The fact this man has not attempted to pick the lock rings alarm bells straight away...

But he was most concerned about the £585 cost of the mechanism alleged to have been fitted by the locksmith, saying such parts are typically priced between £50-£100 and can take upwards of an hour to install alongside a new cylinder lock.

“There’s no way he’s fitted a new mechanism if he was only there 20 minutes,” he added.

“I would allow one to two hours for that job to be done properly.”

Mr Mitchell could also make no sense of the £369 fee for “door opening”, saying: “What even is that? Surely opening the door is just labour, which he’s already charged for?”

While the call-out was made through Trust 24/7 Locksmith, the invoice provided to Mrs Marney was headed with the name of London-based construction company Fixtoon Ltd.

It was to this company the payment was made from Mrs Marney’s account.

KentOnline made efforts to call the locksmith, whose mobile number Mrs Marney inadvertently obtained after he called prior to arriving, but we had no response.

We also contacted him through the Fixtoon email address on the same document, but again there was no reply.

Trust 24/7 Locksmith assures on its website “No hidden costs! We will keep you informed of all expenses”.

The firm was also contacted by our reporter, but has yet to respond.

Customers have shared similar poor experiences with the company on consumer review website Trustpilot.

One says they were charged more than £700 to drill and replace a lock, adding: “They exploit you at a vulnerable moment and then disappear. Do not use this company.”

Mrs Marney says that while her experience has left her feeling “so stupid”, she is sharing it to raise awareness of the firm.

“I’m never going to be conned like that again, but I really hope this will stop other people being put through the same thing, whether I get my money back or not,” she said.

If you think you have been overcharged by a locksmith, you can visit this website for more information.

KentOnline contacted Trading Standards at Kent County Council but a spokesperson said it could not disclose information relating to individuals or businesses.