There are almost 30,000 locksmith businesses scattered throughout the U.S. right now. Most of them are going to provide you with honest and reliable locksmith services when you need them.
But unfortunately, there are some locksmiths out there that will take advantage of people and pull locksmith scams on them. A locksmith scam could result in you paying too much for locksmith services or not getting the locksmith services you need.
It’ll be very important for you to avoid locksmith scams at all costs. That’ll start with you learning about some of the most common locksmith scams and then looking out for them when you’re in need of a St. Louis locksmith or a Kansas City locksmith.
Here are a few of the locksmith scams that you should be aware of before you begin trying to track down a locksmith to help you out.
Fake Locksmith Scam
As we alluded to a few moments ago, there isn’t any shortage of locksmiths in this country right now. Just Google “St. Louis locksmith” or “Kansas City locksmith” for proof of that. It’s fairly easy to become a locksmith, so many people are deciding to do it.
You should be able to choose from any number of locksmiths. But do yourself a favor and make sure you do at least a little research on a locksmith before hiring them to help you.
Anyone can create a Craigslist ad or even set up a website claiming to be a locksmith. But that doesn’t mean they’re a licensed locksmith that’s going to do a great job.
There are people who will pretend to be locksmiths so that they can run a locksmith scam on you. They might come to your home, business, or car, take money from you, and then leave to say they need to go grab a tool without ever coming back.
Falling for a locksmith scam like this will put you in a position where you’ll lose both time and money. It’s why you should always check to see that a locksmith is licensed before hiring them to help you.
Bait and Switch Locksmith Scam
If you’re, say, locked out of your house, a local locksmith should be able to assist you quickly. A high-tech locksmith can take a trip out to your home and enable you to get back into your home fast.
Prior to having them come to your home, though, you should ask them what their locksmithing services will cost. They should be able to provide you with an accurate quote right on the spot.
From there, you should see to it that they don’t try to run a bait and switch locksmith scam on you. This type of scam will involve them giving you a price over the phone and then dramatically increasing the price once they show up to help you.
Some people will pay this price simply because they don’t want to be locked out of their house anymore. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you should stand your ground and only agree to pay the price you were quoted unless there is a justifiable reason for the price increase.
Emergency Lockout Locksmith Scam
The emergency lockout locksmith scam is similar to the bait and switch locksmith scam we just talked about. It does, however, put a slight twist on the bait and switch scam to make it more believable.
When a locksmith is trying to pull the wool over your eyes with this locksmith scam, they’ll tell you that they can’t provide you with a price to help you get back into your locked house. They’ll do this even though there shouldn’t really be a good reason why they can’t do it.
They’ll then provide you with an inflated price when they show up to provide you with emergency locksmith services. It might make you feel like you don’t have any choice but to pay them.
If you feel like a locksmith might be running this locksmith scam on you, it would be worth trying to reach out to other locksmiths in the area. They should be able to provide you with more information on how much their services will cost.
Unwarranted Repairs Locksmith Scam
If you know that you have something like a broken lock on your front door, you shouldn’t be too surprised when you call a locksmith to come to your home and they confirm this and recommend you invest in a new lock. This will make a lot of sense to you.
But you should be concerned if a locksmith ever tells you that you need to make repairs to something like a lock when you didn’t sense there was anything wrong with it before. They might be trying to scare you into thinking you need a new lock when you don’t.
In some cases, dishonest locksmiths will even go as far as to break things like locks to earn some extra money. Keep your eyes peeled for this locksmith scam and touch base with a different locksmith for a second opinion if you think you might be getting scammed.
Duplicate Key Locksmith Scam
The duplicate key locksmith scam is, hands down, the worst locksmith scam of the bunch. It involves a locksmith making a duplicate key for your home, business, or car and also making a duplicate key for themselves.
Once they have this key, they can then use it to gain access to your home, business, or car. You should only trust one of the most reputable locksmiths around to create duplicate keys for you.
Call Us for Help to Avoid These Locksmith Scams
You might not think that you’ll ever fall for a locksmith scam. But when you find yourself in an emergency situation, you might let your guard down and fall for one of the locksmith scams mentioned here.
Lucky Locksmith can help you steer clear of these common locksmith scams when you reach out to us for assistance. We’ll set you up with the best locksmith services around and ensure you get them for the right price.
Contact us now to schedule an appointment with one of our trustworthy locksmiths.