Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

OK, I took my dog for a walk and came back to find that my key no longer works in my lock. So, after 20 minutes of sweating and jiggling and sweating and jiggling and enduring the stares of my neighbors I decide to talk to the security guy downstairs. We call a locksmith. The key guy says that the mechanism of the lock is fubar, something about a pin not doing what it's supposed to. He says he'll have to tear the thing off and replace it. It'll probably cost about 150,000 won.

I'm thinking, huh, that's really expensive. But, I am only a renter so my maintenance charge (which isn't cheap every month) ought to cover this expense.

(And, before anyone asks, I paid the key money, not my school.)

Anyway, he tears the thing off and gets the door open. Now it seems like he is computing something and asks to speak with the maintenance guy of my building. Lucky for me the maintenance guy who speaks of modicum of English left at 6pm. I do however have a slip of paper with his cell phone number on it in case of emergencies, so the key guy calls the maintenance guy. After a rather long pause the maintenance guy answers and it sounds like they are haggling. It also sounds like the maintenance guy has had a few.

The key guy hangs up and tries to explain to me that I can't have a lock on my door until Monday. It seems he raised the price or is trying to tell us that the only model they have in stock is now twice the price he originally quoted me... 300,000. My building maintenance guy was in a bit of a huff about the situation and said not to contact him again until Monday, when he will personally look at the lock and see what went wrong.

Good lord... people. Come on... I want to be able to lock my door. OK? Eventually the key guy rigged it up so that I can lock it from the inside but I cannot secure my home if I leave. It will be like this for 2 days and then the great and all-powerful maintenance douche who couldn't be bothered will check it out on Monday and see if I should foot the bill.

If I have to foot the bill I'm just gonna find a new place to stay. I've lived in this building for 2+ years and stuff is bound to go wrong, right? Why should I have to pay for a bad lock? It wasn't my fault the thing died. Plus there's mold behind the wallpaper and the air conditioner leaks. And the price of a new lock will be more than the cost of hiring a moving crew to take my stuff across the street to a newer and cleaner building.

[dazzed]

It's usually the landlord of the owner of the build that pays for the lock and others like busted pipe, boilder, or anything that is essential to run a house. From past experience I've had to pay for clogged toilet, clogged pipe drain, and others that could be cause by the renter.

[bassexpander]

Heck, if there's no lock on it now, I'd have another locksmith install a cheap circular lock for a few days, then find out what the landlord wants to buy for it!

[Yesterday]

You stated you had a "key lock" - (uses keys).....


Go to your local supermarket, purchase a new key-lock for 12,000 won and install it yourself.

You only need a screwdriver - if you don't have one purchase it for 4,000 won whilst you are purchasing the lock.

Total cost = 16,000won.

Total time = 10 minutes.

I have changed a few locks of korean classroom doors etc - in Korea - its very simple - and the lock will come with diagrams of what to do.

If you really don't know how to do it -

The building maintenance men - are supposed to install somethng themselves in your apartment for free - as long as you purchase and pay for the goods yourself. (in your case a 12,000won lock)

if they are too lazy to do their job...

then I could come and do it - but I will charge you 40,000won (for my time and trouble).

Oh! just wait - I can't charge you anything - because that would be working illegally - so just give me a gift and pay for the lock (I have screwdrivers).


Really, this lock-smith is wants to charge you 150,000~300,000won for a job that takes 10 minutes and total cost of the lock is 12,000 won.

For the price of 300,000won he sounds as if he wants to install a new key-less enter your pin-number lock -

http://www.cmsolsecurity.com.au/pages/door.htm

(and even they only cost a total of 170,000won)

[chaz47]

Yeah, it does have a keypad but there were people shocking the doors with tasers and breaking in so I went back to using a key.

I think the guy was trying to run a scam for real. Once he got inside and saw all of my pizza vouchers stuck to the inside of the door with a magnet he probably thought I was another millionaire foreigner. The already high price of 150,000 went to 300,000. I'd already had the lock (but not the whole mechanism) changed 6 months ago for 50,000, so imagine my shock.



Anyway, one more day till my building's maintenance looks at it. I've got enough supplies but when I walk my dog I have to open the door from the outside with my vice-grips... a pain in the ass. And anyone with a screwdriver could unlock it.

I know Korea is a relatively safe place but I didn't sleep well knowing how easy it is for the door be opened.

[MMagidson]