Most locksmiths are honest.

Some are not.

Don't be a victim of a "Scammer"

February 2008 : Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Alert.
.Click Here.

www.fwcla.org
727-796-0292

Quoting a low price on the phone / Web

Most locksmiths charge a "trip charge" for coming to your location, then charge parts and labor for the work they actually perform. Scammers often mislead customers into thinking the trip charge is all they will have to pay. Ask for the total price.

Pretending to be a local business

When you call a scammer, you may end up talking to a telephone "boiler room" on the other side of the country! Some scammers even put phony local addresses in their ads. Ask where the company is located before you tell them where you are. If you get an evasive answer, watch out!

Insisting on cash payment

Most legitimate locksmiths will accept credit or debit cards. Ask about methods of payment when you are on the phone.

No business cards or identification

A legitimate locksmith wants you to call him again, he will give you his phone number he wants you to remember his or her name. Scammers want your money, and hope they never see you again.

"Bait and switch" pricing

Scammers often quote a low price to get in the door, then find excuses to charge you a lot more money. Ask how the total price will be calculated, both on the phone and again when the locksmith arrives. Even a legitimate locksmith can not always give you an exact price over the phone, but be wary of sudden, massive increases in the price.

They quote you a really low price, and promise they will be there in just a few minutes.

When someone finally shows up, you are told the price will be a lot higher than you were quoted on the phone. It's late, and you are tired. So you pay the money.

You have just been scammed.

Some people have been charged over a thousand dollars for a simple job. They have been told they needed new locks, and then sold junk at high prices. These scammers are there to rip you off.


They're out to cheat you!


Here's how you can stop them.


Pat Sheehan Pres. FWCLA

If you think you are being cheated don't wait
call the police
Get the name and phone number of a reputable local locksmith before you need it



On July 10 2007 the Better Business Bureau Warned Consumers of a Nationwide Locksmith Swindle. . .Click Here. .