I saw an AD for $15 Locksmith Service online

1. Complaints Board review of "$15 Locksmith" ADs

2. Rip Off Report review of "15 Locksmith" claims

It is unfortunate that in the locksmith industry in Boston has taken such a set back because of companies deceiving the public. This has much to do with the non regulations in the industry, in MA there are NO license requirements to be a locksmith. To put it in perspective, a hairdresser needs more license in the state of Massachusetts then a technician with access to your home or automobile. It is our hope that this changes in the near future as we have had talks with government agencies looking to reconcile this problem.

Combining the lack of requirements it takes to be a locksmith in Boston and the ability to utilize the internet for false advertising many phony locksmith companies are getting away with locksmith scam. This includes prices being inflated; quoting one price and invoicing almost triple the amount and non local aspect of these companies. Non local companies will "hire" subcontractors who are on call in the cities they advertise in. The subcontractors have limited liability if they damage your property, use low quality equipment since it is their responsibility to be equipped with the tools and have their interest in mind, not the customers.

Using best practices such as speaking with the locksmith technician before he starts to work and communicate the price quoted to you over the phone and what he has to say now that he is onsite. It is not always the case the company is trying to "scam" you. At times what the customer says is the problem might not be the actual case or instead of a standard lock he/she asks for a high security lock. The prices will vary if this was not the initial quote, so keep communication open. Our locksmiths are very friendly, so this will not be a problem!

Ask if the company hires within or subcontracts their jobs. This is an important point as stated above.

Warning  Signs

• The call is going through to a call center verse an office.
• You will be answered by a generic answer: “locksmith” or “locksmith Service” – mainly because these companies are operated under multiple different names and the person who answers the phone doesn’t know which “company” you called.
• Person who answers the phone seems unfamiliar with your address and asks for a zip code.
• A company that quotes as low as $15 for any service, these companies just want you to book the job and when the locksmith is on site, usually a subcontractor will bill you at a much higher rate when the work is complete.
• Companies with multiple directory listing are usually not local, they use local addresses and sometimes numbers to make you feel safer. This is the case in phone books as well as Google, Yahoo!, MSN and other directories.
• A  technician that avoids speaking with you or making eye contact.

Automotive Customers

This section is for automotive customers specifically for those who are looking to have transponder keys made for their cars (you can learn more about transponder keys and our automotive locksmith services in: Auto Locksmith Services).

With transponder keys programming is necessary, these keys have a chip inside which you can think as the "brain", in order to program this key so it will be recognized by the CPU of the car the programming process must be done professionally with the right equipment.

We have learned that companies that use inexperienced locksmith technicians with the wrong equipment may be able to provide you with a low price for the key, but with a huge risk to damage the car, risk that could cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the long run.

Is it better to go through a service company that conducts background checks?  Service companies that state "we verify the locksmith company is legal and have intensive background checks" are not always honest.  We have seen it too often and even the phony companies get through the "screening" process. These companies can not require a locksmith to be licensed if the state they work in does not have these regulations in place.

Lock Bumping

Bump keys are a huge threat in the wrong hands causing great concern. Bump keys are used to bypass the cylinder (key hole) of your locks and the method is as easy to learn as watching a YouTube video. These keys are available for around $15 online. Surprisingly despite the importance of security and the implications that lack of security could have on you, your family, home, or business the majority population will settle for basic security locks.

What can you do? It’s very simple, installing high security locks will help prevent the many calls that come into our office due to a burglary. We would like you to call us before! Medeco or Schlage primus are more expensive locks, but well worth the security of your family. Our locksmith technicians will be happy to evaluate any security concerns on and around your property, just ask!

View our Security Tips for more information about other ways to protect your home or business.

Locksmith Scams

It has been unfortunate that so many locksmith companies have taken advantage of our citizens. You open the phone book to find a locksmith; you see local numbers and address, so it’s safe to believe they are around the corner. They are not, most of the time. They use factious address and the phone calls are forwarded to a call center in NY. If you see a listing that are saturating a search page or phone book page, let that stand out to you as something not OK. Why would you need offices a few miles from each other? They don't, nor are they there. Some locksmith companies are Mobile, which is complete legit for this type of business, the trouble stirs up when the technicians they use are subcontracted as in the above situation. This means the company has limited liability with any work or damage the subcontractor does.

So two things, make sure the company is local, and make sure they hire directly though the company. The technicians are well trained and the equipment they use is the most technical sound.

Click here to read more about this locksmith scam: BBB Warning, FTC Warning, News Stories and other resources about Unfair or Deceptive Locksmith Companies.