Damages Caused by One Call Locksmith

My husband, Darryn Lipman, contacted One Call Locksmith to unlock our car. Upon arrival, Mr. Bennie Janse van Rensburg, the locksmith assigned to the job, was specifically instructed by Darryn not to scratch the car and to stop immediately if any damage was likely to occur. Mr. van Rensburg reassured Darryn that he was experienced and could safely open the car.

Unfortunately, Darryn had to leave before the process was complete. I remained with Mr. van Rensburg while he attempted to open the car. Despite his initial confidence, he was unable to unlock it and proceeded to charge us R1,000 for the call-out. Additionally, he retrieved the house keys that were locked inside the car.

Later that afternoon, I independently located the car keys and unlocked the vehicle. Upon opening the doors, I discovered extensive damage to the car, including:

Deep cuts into the plastic panels Damaged locks Deep scratches on the door panel Slight bending of both front doors, causing them to misalign with the car Paint removal on the driver's door top corner Damaged rubber seals around the doors

Communication Attempts and Unsatisfactory Response:

I contacted Mr. van Rensburg directly and provided him with photographic evidence of the damages. He denied responsibility and subsequently blocked my number.

I then contacted One Call Locksmith, expecting them to handle the situation. Initially, they assured us that they would take care of the damages. However, upon following up the next day, we were informed that they had no updates for us.

Frustrated by the lack of progress and seeking to ensure they address the issue, we filed an affidavit at the police department. This prompted One Call Locksmith to inform us that they would only resolve the matter through lawyers and proceeded to block our numbers.