These days, it’s like everywhere you go, you’re met with scams. For every 5 legit businesses you see, there are a hundred scams waiting to steal your money! It can be extremely hard to tell the difference between a legit business and a scam, especially if it’s a business like locksmithing, which you usually need in an emergency and probably won’t have a lot of time to research the locksmith that’s coming over to help. Chances are, you might end up falling for a scam and lose a lot more than just a locksmithing fee! However, this doesn’t mean that there’s no way to protect yourself. There are several steps you can take to make sure that you don’t end up falling for a locksmithing scam and in this post, we’re going to be going over 5 of the ways!
#4: Keep an ear out before they get to you
Sometimes, the main way locksmithing scammers fail is by answering the phone in a way a “proper professional” wouldn’t. This is usually because the scammers are running multiple scams all at once and aren’t always prepared for getting calls, so they end up “winging it” when they’re on the phone.
To weed out the scammers, see if they answer the phone using the name of their company. Do they say “Hi I’m X from Locksmith Chicago, How can I help you?” or do they just say “Hello?”. This alone can help you not only weed out the potential scammers but also get rid of the not-so-great locksmiths too!
The “real” locksmiths will always answer the phone professionally! That’s your first hint at making sure you’re hiring the right people!
#3: Pay attention to the details
When the locksmith arrives, see if they’ve come in a professional van. Locksmithing supplies aren’t the lightest, so most locksmiths need to have proper vans to hold everything in place. A professional locksmith should function like a professional.
If it seems like they’re not in the right vehicle, don’t have the right tools, or just seem like they don’t know what they’re doing, it’s a red flag that you might be dealing with a scammer.
#2: What are they charging
A proper, professional locksmith will have set charges for all of their services. Most of them will also have a clear price list on their website that you can refer to before even calling them! The locksmiths will even let you know the charges for additional steps like replacing parts of a lock or having to get a brand new one. Every single step will have a clear charge, nothing will be hidden. On top of that, a locksmithing service will also be just fine with giving you a written quote before they start working and once they’re done, they’ll have a receipt with their own letterhead on top. Finally, if they’re saying they’re charging something that’s far too low compared to the rest of the market, there’s a chance they’re a scammer too.
#1: Stay alert
Calling a locksmith and making sure you’re not getting scammed may seem like a nerve-racking thing to do if you’ve never done it before. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. All you need to do is make sure you’ve researched the locksmithing company you’re hiring, looked at the reviews, and stay alert throughout the process. From the second you call them, to the point that they wrap up, pay attention to everything they’re doing to make sure they’re legit!
As long as you’re following these four tips, you’ll be able to avoid locksmithing scams easily, and always be sure that you’re hiring the right people for the job!