Don’t Call a Locksmith Until You Read This
Like any profession, there are bad apples in the locksmith world. Today’s locksmith industry is riddled with confusing ads, scams, poor work product, and shady sales practices. Cut through the clutter of bad locksmiths with these simple tips from Naples’s oldest and most trusted locksmith company, “A” Locksmith. Even if you don’t choose us, we are happy to provide this information so you can make an informed choice and don’t fall victim to a scam.
- If it’s too good to be true, it is. Unscrupulous locksmiths looking for a quick buck will post ads online for $15, $19, or $29 locksmith service calls. Unwittingly, customers call these guys thinking they are going to save money, but this isn’t the price they end up paying. 100% of the time, these low-price offers are bait-and-switch crimes where victims are swindled for $200 to $1,000 more than what a legitimate locksmith would charge… a whole lot more than the original quote over the phone. The hourly wage of the locksmith, the cost of proper liability insurance, taxes, gas, a vehicle, and the ad itself are just not covered by $15 or even $29.
- Well what should it cost then? For a true locksmith service professional to get in their car, drive to your location, and provide skilled service to open your lock, expect to pay no less than $60 for a lockout during the day and no less than $90 for a lockout during the night or weekends. On the other hand don’t expect to ever pay more than $150 for a lockout, even if it is in the middle of the night, on a holiday, or in a major city.
- Longevity is key. Don’t trust a locksmith company that was born yesterday. Look for companies with at least 10 years of experience in your local market. Chances are they have a long list of happy repeat customers, if not they would have a really hard time staying in business more than a couple of years. Fly-by-night companies will move to another market or will just shut down their operation and open up under a new company name when the word gets out they’re up to no good. Don’t fall for it!
- Don’t trust just any online review. Online reviews can be a great tool, but fake reviews are very common, luckily they are easy to spot! If all the company’s reviews are all from out of state or out of the country, sound similar, or were posted by super-models, it would be a big red flag and a sign to keep looking for a different company. For verified reviews from real companies, check a source such as Home Advisor (which offers free referrals for pre-screened home service companies) or Angie’s List (which let’s members check up on local companies for a small annual fee). Both Angie’s and Home Advisor call or e-mail their customers for reviews, so you know they are legitimate.
- Check the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau is a great way to check up on a potential contractor for your home or business. If a company isn’t listed there, it is most likely either brand new or a fake business. Look for companies that have been Accredited by the BBB, or at least have an A or B rating with no major complaints.
- Look for locksmith association memberships. Search for a locksmith that is a member of ALOA or the Society of Professional Locksmiths, even better if they belong to both! These are true professionals which have undergone background checks and passed an interview process to ensure they are real locksmiths with real professional skills. Not all good locksmiths are members, but most of them are.
- Stop by their shop! The time to find a locksmith is before you need one. Most good locksmiths in Naples have a shop or warehouse space you can walk into, meet some of the technicians, and get a feel for the business. If there’s not an actual locksmith at the address listed on the company’s website, run for the hills. Lots of scammers are using fake addresses to get better rankings on Google, we’ve seen them post the addresses of motels, government buildings, and even empty lots. Some great locksmiths are mobile, home-based operations, so don’t discount a locksmith solely because they don’t have an actual store. Look at the whole picture.
Feel free to stop by our safe and security showroom in the Trek Bike plaza across from Mercato on US-41 to meet our friendly staff or check us out on Angie’s List where we have an A rating. “A” Locksmith is BBB Accredited with an A+ rating and we are members of both ALOA and the Society for Professional Locksmiths. We charge fair prices that keep our customers happy and also allow us to keep proper insurance and pay our locksmith professionals a respectable wage in line with their specialized skills. With 40+ years of locksmith service, “A” Locksmith is the oldest locksmith company in Naples.
