A phony locksmith is not an individual but a network of what appears to be a structured crime organization.
This is a outbreak that has spread across the nation and exists everywhere. Open up a new phone book with the latest yellow pages. Chances are when you look up ‘locksmith,’ you will find a few listings. Some are local and have been around for quite awhile such as A-1Locksmith and there could be others listed as well that have what look like questionable addresses. Many times, those addresses that look questionable really are; they are empty lots, private residences and the like. The company is most likely located in another state in a large city such as New York or Chicago; and these companies subcontract local individuals out. They also give low prices to entice a customer in and then, give them an inflated bill. A-1Locksmith is local to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for over half a century and served many customers in that time.
There have been many cases of scams like this. For example, in Illinois, an elderly man in Streamwood was charged $1790 to drill a lock on his house. Most home openings were given at a low price and the locksmith impersonator that the so-called company sent out would tell the customer that the locked could not be picked and that they would need to drill it. This was to increase fees that the customer would pay by drilling the lock thus destroying it and it would set up the opportunity to rip the customer off more by installing a new, cheap lock that could easily be purchased for a few dollars in the store. They would then charge the customer $100-$200 and add it to an already inflated bill. Locksmiths such as A-1Locksmith will give you a quote, based on the circumstances. The give fair and competitive rates as well as offer many services. Incidentally, all locks ARE able to be picked by a real locksmith except high security locks that are pick-resistant.
Companies like this use a multitude of different names on the internet and in the phone books. There are some things you can do in order to help protect yourself such as ask for identification; if you can’t get the identification, tell them to leave and if they give you a problem, call the police as they can arrest ANYONE claiming to be a locksmith that doesn’t have a valid license; however, catching them is hard because usually the mere mention of police sends them running.
For all of your locksmithing needs, call A-1 Locksmith at (972) 284-7500 for the call center or for Emergency service, call (972) 284-7516. A-1 Locksmith offers competitive pricing and years of experience and is a name you CAN trust.
