Beware of the most traditional locksmith scams
Beware of the $15, $19, $20 adds for service call/trip fee locksmiths, or ones that claim to have cheapest prices in town, the ones that claim to be there in 30 min or less, or if the name has 24/7 in it or just a general name like “Phoenix Locksmith”.
There are even some that claim to have a local address, but upon closer inspection, it doesn’t exist. Most legitimate locksmiths will quote you an exact price for the service you need, and not give you open ended answer. If the person on the phone is giving you a “it starts out price” beware. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
They generally are not a locally owned business, or an out of state call center operating a web of un-licensed so called “contractors/locksmiths” who will always extremely overcharge for all services, install cheap locks, perform no actual locksmith work, and use “bait and switch” techniques with the pricing after job is completed.
These locksmiths are part of a huge national locksmith scam and your only recourse sometimes is to pay them what they want. One good method to spot them is how the dispatcher quotes the initial price or the questions they ask while on the way out to your location and what they say while on-site.
Here is a couple of dead giveaways: IF QUOTE IS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT AND THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW TOTAL AMOUNT UPON ARRIVAL, IF THEY ASK FOR DIRECTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES, SAY THEY ARE EN-ROUTE BUT TAKE MORE THAN HOUR + TO GET THERE, TELL YOU IT TAKES SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE LOCK YOU HAVE, SAY THAT YOUR LOCK IS A HIGH SECURITY LOCK OR 6 PIN LOCK, ETC.
A reputable locksmith will know the equipment it takes to do the job and price it accordingly up front while on the call. If locked out and you do have them come out, and they insist on drilling a lock open without trying anything else (picking the lock, etc), stop them and call us or another locksmith!
Don’t fall for one of the many locksmith scams. A simple lockout will turn into a $150+ charge before you know it. If it doesn’t feel right, just ask the person to leave your house/car/business. Call police if need be for assistance.
We are locally owned and operated in Peoria, AZ. Agent Lock And Key, we are here to help in your time of need. We are licensed, certified, insured and bonded for our work. We have the tools and training to get the job done correctly the first time, and at an affordable price, and always give a firm quote that we will always stick to.
