Terms and Conditions
Last updated: 28 September 2026
These terms cover the 844ohiokey.com website and any locksmith work you request, schedule, approve or accept from 844 Ohio Key, doing business as 844 Ohio Key – Locksmith.
Asking us to do work means you accept the terms that apply to it.
Nothing here is meant to take away a consumer right that Ohio or federal law says can’t be signed away.
1. Who can request work
When you call us out, you’re telling us you have the legal right to have that work done. That means you’re one of the following:
- The owner of the vehicle or property
- A tenant or occupant who is allowed to be there
- An employee or representative authorized to act for the owner
- A property manager or managing agent
- Someone else with the owner’s lawful permission
We may ask for identification, vehicle registration, a title, a lease, a work order, management authorization or similar documentation before we start. For mailbox work we may ask for a letter from USPS or authorization from the leasing office confirming which box belongs to you.
If we can’t reasonably confirm that the work is authorized, we may decline the job or stop partway through.
2. Estimates
An estimate is our best read of what a job will cost, based on what we know when we give it.
Things we can’t see from the phone or the driveway can change that figure. Worn or broken internal parts, corrosion, hardware someone installed wrong, a door or frame that has moved, a modified lock, a vehicle electrical fault, extra programming the car turns out to need, or information that turns out to be different from what we were told.
If a job needs parts or labor beyond what we quoted, we’ll try to reach you and get your approval before carrying on.
An estimate isn’t a promise that nothing unexpected will turn up once we’re into the work.
3. Approving extra work
If something extra becomes necessary once we’ve started, we’ll make reasonable efforts to get your go-ahead first.
Approval can be given by phone, by text, by email, through an estimate link, or in person. Any of those is fine.
4. What we charge for
Depending on the job, charges can include the service call, labor, parts, key blanks and fobs, key cutting, programming, diagnosis, materials, special-order items, any extra work you approved, and tax.
The service call covers getting a technician to you: the travel, the scheduling, the equipment in the van and the time set aside for your job.
Unless we’ve agreed otherwise in writing, work already done isn’t refunded just because you decide not to go ahead with the rest. That includes travel completed, diagnosis, key cutting and programming attempts.
5. Cancelling or rescheduling
Let us know as early as you can if you no longer need an appointment.
Appointments booked ahead. If you cancel before a technician has been sent out, there’s normally no charge.
Same-day and urgent calls. These usually mean someone is assigned and driving to you within minutes of your approval. If you cancel after a technician has been dispatched or is already on the way, a reasonable cancellation or service call charge may apply, reflecting the time, travel and scheduling committed to your job.
Special-order items. If you approved a lock, key, fob or other part that we’ve already ordered, you may still be responsible for costs we can’t recover, such as non-refundable parts, shipping or restocking fees, to the extent the law allows.
None of this overrides a cancellation right the law gives you.
6. Ohio cancellation rights
Ohio law gives consumers cancellation rights on certain transactions, including a three business day window on qualifying home solicitation sales under the Ohio Home Solicitation Sales Act.
Those rights don’t apply automatically to every locksmith call. The law contains exceptions, including some situations where you contacted us and asked us to come to your home to repair or maintain your own property.
Where Ohio or federal law gives you a cancellation period, a notice requirement, a refund right or any other protection, that law applies over anything written here.
7. If we can’t do the job when we arrive
You’re responsible for giving us the right address, a working phone number, access to the vehicle or property, and authorization when we ask for it.
A charge may apply if we arrive and nobody authorized is there, we can’t reach you, we can’t get access, the address was wrong, or the documentation we need isn’t available.
8. Arrival times
Unless we’ve put something different in writing, arrival times are estimates.
Traffic, weather, road closures, a job before yours running long, and vehicle trouble all affect when we get there. We’ll let you know if we’re going to be significantly delayed, but a quoted time isn’t a guaranteed one.
9. Hardware that’s already worn
Most locksmith work involves locks, doors, frames, hinges, ignitions, keys and electronics that have been in use for years. Some of it is worn, corroded, out of alignment, previously repaired, badly installed to begin with, or close to the end of its life.
Fixing one fault doesn’t stop a different part of an old assembly from failing later. And repairing one component doesn’t bring the rest of it back to new condition unless that work was part of the job you approved.
10. Repairing versus replacing
Where hardware can sensibly be repaired, we’ll offer that.
Sometimes we’ll recommend replacement instead, because of age, wear, damage, repeat failures, missing parts, an unsafe condition, a poor previous installation, or parts that are no longer available.
If you’d rather repair something we suggested replacing, that’s your call. We can’t predict how much life is left in the existing component.
11. Warranty on repair labor
Unless we’ve said otherwise in writing, repair work carried out without fitting new parts carries a 30 day workmanship warranty.
That covers faults caused by how we did the work. It isn’t a promise that an old or previously damaged lock, ignition or door component will keep working for 30 days whatever its condition.
So if we repair a lock and a different internal part fails later through age, wear, corrosion, earlier damage or misuse, that isn’t automatically a fault in our repair.
If something goes wrong inside the warranty period, we may want to look at the original work to see what caused it. If it came from our workmanship, we’ll put it right. If it came from a separate failure, the condition of existing hardware, normal wear, misuse, damage, a door or frame problem, or work by someone else, normal service call, labor and parts charges can apply.
This warranty is a repair remedy, not a money-back guarantee.
12. Locks and hardware we supply
Unless we’ve said otherwise in writing, new locks and hardware we supply and install carry a 180 day warranty covering defects in the product itself and in our installation, with normal use.
It doesn’t cover damage from abuse, forced entry or an attempted break-in, impact, vandalism, modifications you or someone else made, adjustments by another person, movement in the door, frame or building structure, sagging doors, hinge problems, misalignment that isn’t down to our installation, fire, flood, water exposure beyond what the product is rated for, harsh cleaning products, or ordinary wear.
A problem caused by the door, the frame, a hinge, a closer or the building itself isn’t automatically a defect in the lock or in our work.
Some products carry their own manufacturer warranty as well.
13. Locks and parts you supply
If you buy the hardware and we install it, we don’t warranty the product. That covers locks, smart locks, keypads, deadbolts, door hardware, key blanks, keys, remotes, fobs, electronic parts and anything else you provide.
We can’t vouch for the quality, compatibility, authenticity or lifespan of something we didn’t supply. It may turn out to be defective, damaged, counterfeit, the wrong part, already programmed to another vehicle, missing components, or simply unable to work with what you have.
Service call, labor, cutting and programming charges can still apply if a part you supplied turns out not to work. We’ll always tell you what we’re seeing as we go.
14. Car keys and fobs we supply
Unless we’ve said otherwise in writing, automotive keys and fobs we supply and program carry a 180 day warranty covering defects in the key or fob and programming faults from our original work.
It doesn’t cover keys or fobs that are lost or stolen, water damage, drops, impact, cracked or crushed shells, bent blades, broken emergency keys, buttons broken by damage, damage from a battery change or disassembly, damage caused by another locksmith, dealership or shop, or problems in the vehicle itself: battery, immobilizer, antenna, receiver, modules, ignition, wiring or software.
It also doesn’t cover your original keys or fobs, only what we supplied.
15. Car keys and fobs you supply
Keys, remotes and fobs you bought elsewhere don’t carry a warranty from us.
Aftermarket parts are a gamble. Wrong frequency, wrong FCC ID, wrong transponder, wrong blade, already locked to another vehicle, poor quality electronics, or outright counterfeit. Send us the part number before you buy and we’ll tell you what we think.
If a key or fob you supplied can’t be programmed because the part itself is wrong or faulty, cutting, programming, diagnostic and service call charges can still apply.
16. Fob batteries
A battery supplied with a fob carries a 90 day warranty against premature failure.
That doesn’t include a dedicated trip out purely to change a battery. If one qualifies for replacement, we’ll arrange a time and place that works for both of us, which may mean fitting it around other work in your area. A special trip for a battery alone may carry a service call charge.
A battery that simply runs down after the warranty period isn’t a defect.
17. Programming car keys
Whether a key programs successfully depends partly on the vehicle.
A weak battery, the immobilizer, the antenna or receiver, a control module, the ignition, existing keys, wiring, software and any earlier modifications can all affect it.
If a key stops being recognized later because of a fault in the vehicle, that isn’t a defect in our key or our programming. Where a vehicle prevents normal programming, extra diagnostic work may be needed, and we’ll tell you before doing it.
18. Cutting keys
How well a newly cut key works depends on the condition of the lock, the ignition, the door cylinder, the original key and the code information available.
A new key doesn’t repair a worn lock or ignition. Where wear is severe, repair or replacement may be needed and we’ll say so.
19. Warranty claims
We may need to inspect the work or the product before deciding whether a warranty covers it.
We may ask for the invoice or job number, the key or fob itself, vehicle details, photos, or other information we reasonably need.
Warranty cover applies to the original job and the original customer unless the law says otherwise.
20. How a warranty claim is settled
A covered claim is resolved by adjusting, repairing, reinstalling, reprogramming or replacing, depending on what’s wrong.
A warranty isn’t an automatic right to cash back. If the problem can be corrected, we should get the chance to look at it and correct it first.
Nothing here limits a remedy the law requires us to provide.
21. Return visits
A second visit isn’t automatically free just because it falls inside a warranty period.
If what’s happening now comes from a separate failure, existing hardware, damage, misuse, another contractor, a vehicle fault, or a door or frame problem, normal charges apply. If it’s covered by our warranty, we’ll handle it under the warranty.
22. Drilling and destructive entry
We pick locks open wherever it’s reasonably possible. That’s our default, on houses and on cars, and it’s why we don’t use slim jims or pry doors.
Some situations don’t allow it. A lock can be seized, broken inside, high security, or already damaged. Where drilling or other destructive work is genuinely the only way, we’ll explain what we’re going to do before we do it.
When hardware has failed or been damaged, it can’t always be removed without marks, holes, or the need to replace it.
23. Doors, frames and things that aren’t the lock
A lock’s operation depends on more than the lock. Doors, frames, hinges, closers, thresholds, weather stripping, building movement, and in vehicles the electrical system and wiring.
Unless it was part of the job you approved, a problem caused by one of those isn’t automatically ours to fix.
Where something falls outside locksmith work, we’ll tell you and point you toward the right trade: a door company, a contractor, an electrician, a mechanic or a dealership.
24. Payment
Unless we’ve agreed something different in writing, payment is due when the work is finished.
You’re responsible for the charges you approved: the service call, labor, parts, materials, cutting, programming, diagnosis, any extra authorized work, and tax.
Commercial customers, property managers, insurers and corporate accounts can have their own written payment terms. Ask us and we’ll set them up before the work starts rather than after.
25. Discounts
Discounts listed on our Specials page apply to labor, not to keys, fobs, locks or other parts.
Tell us the code when you call so we can build it into the quote. We can’t apply a discount once a job is finished and paid for. One discount per job, and ID gets checked when we arrive.
26. Billing questions and chargebacks
If something on an invoice looks wrong, contact us and we’ll go through it with you.
Raising a chargeback doesn’t by itself cancel a valid obligation to pay for work that was done and authorized.
If a payment dispute is opened, we may give banks, card issuers and payment processors the relevant records: estimates, invoices, authorization, messages, service records, photographs and proof of completed work.
27. Photographs and records
We photograph and record job conditions where there’s a legitimate reason to: existing damage, the state of hardware before and after, completed work, warranty assessments, payment disputes, insurance and property management documentation, and our own records.
Any personal information attached to those records is handled as described in our Privacy Policy.
We don’t publish photographs that identify a private customer or private property for marketing without permission.
28. Your information
We collect and use customer information to answer enquiries, prepare estimates, schedule and dispatch work, carry out the job, take payment, administer warranties, keep business records and resolve disputes.
We don’t sell customer personal information.
Our Privacy Policy sets out the detail.
29. Website content
The text, photographs, graphics, logos, layout and design on this site belong to us or are licensed to us.
You’re welcome to read the site and use it to decide whether to call us. Copying, republishing, scraping or reusing our material commercially without permission isn’t allowed, except where the law permits it.
We keep the site as accurate as we reasonably can, but availability, parts, vehicle coverage, pricing and scheduling all change. Nothing on the site is a binding quote unless it’s in an estimate or invoice we’ve given you. A service described here may not be available for every vehicle, lock or location.
30. Other companies’ systems
We use third-party services for things like online service requests, scheduling, messaging, email, card payments, hosting and analytics. Using those services may also put you under that company’s own terms and privacy practices.
We’re not responsible for outages or errors caused solely by systems outside our control.
The site links to other places, including Google, review sites and manufacturers. We’re not responsible for what’s on them.
31. Urgent calls
We do our best to respond quickly. Calling us doesn’t guarantee that a technician is free at that moment, that we’ll arrive by a particular time, or that every job can be completed.
If someone’s life or safety is at risk, including a child or a pet locked in a vehicle, call 911 first. Then call us.
32. Limits on warranties and liability
Apart from the warranties set out above, or in an estimate, invoice or separate written agreement, our products and services are subject to the limits described here, as far as the law allows.
To the fullest extent the law allows, we aren’t responsible for indirect or consequential losses that weren’t directly caused by our negligence or by a breach of a duty we owe you.
Nothing here excludes warranties, consumer protections or liability that the law doesn’t allow us to exclude.
33. Telling us early
If something seems wrong after we’ve been out, stop using the hardware where it’s safe to do so and call us.
Carrying on with a visibly damaged lock, forcing a mechanism that isn’t working, or continuing to use a broken key can make the damage worse, and that affects whether the later damage is connected to the original job.
34. No lock stops crime
Locks and security hardware control access. None of them guarantees that a break-in, theft or vandalism will never happen.
Installing, repairing or servicing a lock isn’t a guarantee against future criminal activity.
35. Parts that are no longer made
Products get discontinued, backordered or replaced by newer models.
Where an exact replacement isn’t available, we’ll suggest something compatible and discuss any difference in cost or work with you before going ahead.
36. Changing the job partway through
If you change what you want after we’ve started, extra labor, parts or travel charges can apply. Adding doors or locks, changing the hardware you picked, asking for more keys, changing how things are keyed, or adding programming.
We’ll tell you what the change costs before doing the extra work.
37. When we’ll decline or stop work
We may refuse or stop a job where it’s reasonable to: unsafe conditions, threatening or abusive behavior, suspected unlawful activity, authorization we can’t verify, work beyond what we do, or anything that would put us on the wrong side of the law.
You remain responsible for authorized work already completed.
38. Governing law
These terms are governed by Ohio law, without limiting rights given to you by federal law or any other law that has to apply.
39. If part of this doesn’t hold up
If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that part is read as narrowly as needed to comply with the law, and the rest continues to apply.
If we don’t enforce something on one occasion, that doesn’t mean we’ve given up the right to enforce it later.
40. Changes
We update these terms from time to time. The current version is always on this page with its last updated date. Changes apply going forward.