How To Avoid Being Ripped Off By Phony Locksmiths

A lock is designed to keep crime out, but sometimes these devices actually lure criminals inside. It has happened to just about everyone that they locked themselves out of their car, home or workplace and not everyone carries a set of spare keys so then the only way out is to call a locksmith, who will come and unlock the doors for a certain fee.

All of this is simple enough, the problem occurs when the locksmith is a phony one. Fake locksmiths who show up in unmarked vans can overcharge, do shoddy work or even return to your home when you are not there and go right inside. What's even worse is some of these illegal locksmiths will take the name of a legitimate locksmith, pose as that business and scam customers. Then the legitimate business suffers from negative ratings and bad customer reviews, from those customers who they never actually serviced.

If they're unlicensed and they come in an unmarked vehicle to do the job, there's no way of tracking that person down later. So, how do you look out for a criminal posing as a locksmith?
a) First of all be extremely well informed and always ask for proper proof of certification and licensing and make sure there is a liability policy otherwise there won't be any protection against damages.
b) Never be misled by any Yellow Pages ad placed by a locksmith. Residents should never be overly impressed by gigantic ads. It is very easy to assume that a large advertisement means a company is reputable and is doing good business. But phony locksmiths know that the large advertisement is worth the money if it draws plenty of customers. Even if they do shoddy work, they make money by the sheer amount of people who are fooled by those large advertisements and believe they will be getting good service.
c) Always make sure that the locksmith has a real store and that you can walk into it. It doesn't have to be a large or an impressive one but it should be a real store, not a fake one.
d) Remember to always get a written quote, even if it was given over the phone first. When the locksmith shows up, ask for the quote before any work is done. If the locksmith hesitates or tries to inflate the figure walk away from the deal. If the locksmith gets angry or starts threatening, don't hesitate to call the authorities.
e) Also, a licensed locksmith is supposed to have a marked vehicle. Most of the illegal locksmiths are not in service vans but instead they are driving personal driving cars.
f) Ask the locksmith to provide references and be sure to call them.
 
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