Are You Looking for a Legitimate Locksmith?

What to do if you have locked yourself out of your car? Make sure you don’t fall victim to a locksmith scam as well!

Don’t panic and call the first business advertising itself as a locksmith – call your roadside assistance service first! They will have a list of pre-approved companies – locksmiths included. If you don’t have a roadside assistance service at your disposal, call your friends and family for recommendations! A 24 hour Locksmith today not only makes locks, but also performs lock picking, lock repair, and cleaning locks.

To avoid getting scammed when picking a locksmith service from a telephone book – or from the internet – you will have to be very careful. Some “local” companies are not local at all! These scam artists will come in an unmarked vehicle, do a shoddy job, and overcharge you.

When you call a locksmith’s number, ask him for the name of his business. A legitimate locksmith will not have problems with giving you his personal name, and the legal name of his business.

Legitimate locksmiths will arrive to your place in a marked vehicle. Still, it is always a good idea to ask for some sort of identification when a locksmith arrives.

A professional and legitimate locksmith will use special equipment to pick house lock doors. With locked cars, they will use a device that slides through a slightly eased car doors and lifts the car door lever.

Before any work begins, ask for an estimate (over the phone). Are there any extra charges you will have to pay, for example for an emergency service? Always ask: “What is the total cost going to be when the work is completed?”.Ask for a written estimate. If the estimate he gives you when he arrives does not match the one he gave you over the phone, find another locksmith!

An outrageously low estimate given over the phone is almost certainly a sign of a fraud. These scam artists will bully you into paying much, much more once they arrive and you are left standing there without a working lock! Insisting on “cash only” may also be a telltale sign of a scam.