Locksmith refunds 90-year-old he charged thousands for lock replacement after CBS Colorado investigation

For some families, there comes a time when the roles between a parent and their children begin to shift.

"We thought maybe she was going to come and move in with us. We were able to get her a nice apartment, brand-new appliances. Nobody had lived in it," Stacy Sdanowich said.

Sdanowich now cares for her 90-year-old mother Florence in Colorado. She helps with groceries, appointments -- even keeping track of bills and spending. But the biggest task is keeping her mom safe.

 "I felt guilty for going on vacation for Christ sake, because had I not gone, this wouldn't have happened," she said. "That was what my father asked me to do -- take care of her -- and I feel like I failed."

Florence believed the lock on her door had been tampered with. She searched online for a locksmith and called the first 800 number that appeared. She was connected to a company called Fortis Locksmith.

"I called them and said I just wanted them to check the lock because I was having some problems. I asked, 'Do I have to buy the lock if you come?' And they said no," Florence said.

She says she stepped away for only 10 to 15 minutes. When she returned, the technicians had already installed a new lock and removed the old one.

Florence says she was told the job would cost $160 and that she'd receive a receipt by email the next morning. Instead, she got a call from her bank that her credit card had been charged nearly $4,000.

"What do you think of that bill? $3,800? I'm telling you, giving them $90, I think I might have a heart attack. I'm so upset," she said.

"A reputable locksmith should know you don't change locks in a senior living facility, because security has to have a master key for emergencies," Stacy said.

That very expensive replacement lock now sits in a box on the counter. Management at the senior living facility removed it and reinstalled the original lock. Online, similar locks cost only a few hundred dollars.

Florence immediately called the company back.

"I talked to the manager, and he said, 'Well, we'll give you $1,000 back.' I said, 'No indeed.' I said 'I'm not rich. I can't afford all this extra money,'" she said.

They did refund her $1,200 and Florence and Stacy tried to dispute the remaining $2,600. The bank declined to step in, saying a service had been provided and the only recourse was to work with the vendor.

"He hung up. The next time I tried to call, it said this person is not taking any calls. And I never talked to him again," Florence said.

State records show the company was only formed in December. There is no website, no direct number -- only an address.

When a CBS Colorado crew knocked on the door of the building at that address, a woman answered and claimed there are no locksmith companies associated with the building.

"We are looking for a SP Fortis locksmith," CBS Colorado investigator Karen Morfitt asked. "Do you know of any locksmith?"
"No," the woman answered.
"Is there a locksmith here?" Morfitt asked.
"No," she said again.

Several neighbors told CBS Colorado they'd seen numerous locksmith companies coming and going from the location and provided photos of several vans with company names on the side parked out front of the home.

 Before leaving, Morfitt gave the woman who came to the door her contact information. Within an hour, a man who identified himself as the owner of Fortis Locksmith called Morfitt.

"Fortis Locksmith, that's me," he said.

"No, this is not us; we did not do this job. Maybe someone faked the receipt?" he suggested.

Over the course of four calls, the owner would change his story. Ultimately he claimed that he used a subcontractor he had never worked before.

"I am super upset about what happened," he said. "I'm available to do do a full refund to the customer."

Soon after this, the man delivered a cashier's check from his company to CBS Colorado. CBS Colorado delivered that check to Florence and her daughter the next day.

"God bless you," Florence said. "You have made me so happy."

The day that check was delivered, state business records show the company was voluntarily dissolved in Colorado.