Scams of all shapes and sizes are out there. Scam artists are out there to take advantage of people, especially in an emergency situation such as being locked out of your car. As a locksmith who has been in business for more than 60 years, A-1 Locksmith wants to warn consumers BEFORE they find themselves in a sticky situation with one of these scammers. It is the hope of A-1 Locksmith that consumers will contact US –Â FIRST – before being taken advantage of by these crooked companies.
How to spot a Scam
- Advertisements~Many of these crooked companies offer one price over the phone or in an online ad and then upon arriving, the will perform the service and then present a bill with all kinds of added fees and charges. If a customer complains about the charges or refuses to pay, they are threatened with the police. This situation was reported recently on RipOff Report. Elderly people are ESPECIALLY susceptible to this kind of scam which is known as a bait and switch.
- EXTREMELY bargain-prices~Some of these crooked companies offer customers a VERY low price for a service such as a home or business lockout. One could question how a profit is made; the truth is, they could offer that low price, make a copy of your key, and then keep it in order to come back and visit you when you are not home or the business is closed in order to help themselves to things to make their profit. This is disturbing but it unfortunately happens.
- Let me SEE the vehicle first~This should be an immediate warning to a consumer who has been locked out of the car. Locksmiths that have been in business as long as A-1 Locksmith is more capable of giving you a phone quote. Be CAUTIOUSof a locksmith that has to SEE the car first; there could be a massive amount of hidden fees.
- Be careful of 800/866/888/ and 877 prefixes~This could be a locksmith broker company located in an area such as New York, Florida, or Atlanta. These locksmith brokers charge MUCH higher rates than what a local locksmith like A-1 Locksmith would charge. These brokers do their best to corner the market on the internet with all sorts of advertising and they are happy to pass this expense on to their customers.
Of course this is not anywhere near an all-inclusive list of locksmith scams; however, it is a place to start. Check out this site to find MANY different locksmith scam reports. These are reports that have appeared in newspapers and on television stations.
