Locks, Keys and Safes to Protect Firearms

Advice to Help Avoid Locksmith Con Artists

In spite the fact that there are many reliable locksmith companies and 24 hour locksmiths on the market, scammers do exist, as is the case with any other profession. Conniving people can damage locks, charge in inflated prices, and even give critical security details about clients' property to thieves and burglars. But armed with the right knowledge, you can avoid falling prey to such scammers.

Here are a couple of things you should watch out for to avoid locksmith cheats.

Over-the-phone price estimate fluctuated onsite.

Emergency call outs can be expensive, but that does not mean they should be exorbitant. Therefore, you should be on the lookout for scammers who want to take advantage of unsuspecting clients to charge a fortune for work done. When you make the initial call to the company, ask for a price estimate. Enquire about surcharges for things like mileage, service call minimums or after-hour call outs before having them come out to get the job done.

Ask for the written estimate when the locksmith arrives at your property to do the job. If what the locksmith charges on-site does not match with the over-the-phone estimate, then you should not allow them to perform the work.

Locksmith fails to mention their business name.

Any reputable locksmith company should be willing to give you their business name when you call them. If the person receiving your call responds with a generic phrase like "emergency locksmith", "24 hour locksmith" or "locksmith services", without mentioning the exact name of their company, then that is an early red flag. This is something that many con artists do to conceal their identity from ignorant clients who are in desperate need of assistance. If the dispatcher won't provide you with the company's name or sounds a bit hesitant when mentioning it, you should find a different locksmith.

Also, keep in mind that some locksmith cheats usually imitate the names of well-known locksmith companies, making just enough of alterations to confuse gullible clients. Therefore, you should be on guard to make sure that they are technically not taking advantage of the good reputation of another company.

Locksmith is fast to declare that your lock should be drilled.

A capable locksmith should have the tools and skills required to fix virtually any type of door lock. Locksmiths that insist on drilling your locks might not have the competence needed to fix the problem and therefore are quick to recommend an easy way out. Remember that drilling your lock will mean you have to replace it, and this might not be what you have budgeted for.

Don't let a locksmith drill your lock only a short while after embarking on the work, especially if they are not dealing with a highly sophisticated security lock and they can't give any good explanation for not picking the lock.  


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