Sentry Safe Won’t Open – Called Customer Service – Great Results

Your Sentry Fire Safe won’t open?  Neither did mine.  From what I can see online, there is a bit of a problem with older Sentry Fire Safes.  Of course it happened at the worst time. Friday evening I needed the title for a car I was selling and I couldn’t get into the safe.  Luckily I was looking for the title hours before the buyer arrived.

I have had my safe now for many years, and struggled with it quite a bit to get it open.  I found a website that described how to hit the safe door gently with a rubber mallet while holding the safe lever up.  I did that several times but also used a little too much force when I was trying to open it.  It did open after about five or six taps.

I tore the safe apart and found not only the sticky solenoid, which the website said to lube with WD-40, but I found the gear that opens all the pins nearly stripped.  I had clearly tried way to hard to open the safe.

Sentry Safe Won't Open
Sentry Safe

Not being one to toss things out, and being fairly handy, I called Sentry and asked to buy a nylon gear and a new solenoid since I was sure I damaged it.  Without question, the customer service person, shipped out the new parts with the safe clearly out of warranty.  He said the model I have, was listed as having bad solenoids and he would send a nylon gear no charge also.  I didn’t know what to say other than “thank you”.

I did buy the safe at a big box store that will take it back for the life of the product.  All I can figure is they know sending me parts is cheaper than me sending it back and getting a new one.  The truth is, I didn’t want a new one. It is too big and heavy and stuffed way in the back of one of those angled low ceiling under stair closets.  I was more than happy to repair it and pay for the parts.

The safe is back in working order with about 20 minutes of work on my part.  Thank you Sentry Safe.  That is how customer service should be.

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