If you read the newspaper or follow the news every day, you’re probably worried because of all the crimes going on around the world today.
One of our prime focuses today is to safeguard our belongings and prevent them from getting stolen. We’re careful on the road, we’re careful with our ATM PINs. And we are extra careful about locking our houses and safe lockers properly before leaving our houses every day.
All that being said and done, there are times when we lose our keys or get locked out of houses and resort to the services of professional locksmiths. We also require their services when we need to make spare keys for all the members of our family when we move to a new house.
This means that our locksmiths can probably have a set of keys for our houses and basically have access to our place anytime. So, what if they are intruders too? How do we trust them?
Not all programmers are hackers and similarly, most locksmiths are true to their conscience and have high moral values when it comes to their professions. However, there are still locksmith scams to be aware of and it’s always important to check if your locksmith is legit before getting their services.
1. Check Their ID and Address
There are a lot of fake locksmiths on the Internet today and if you’re going to call the first person who shows up when you Google Search, ‘locksmiths near me’, it’s going to be a problem. It’s important to check their ID proof and also, see if the physical address actually exists before getting their services.
2. Check If They Are Approved By Any Organization
Each country or state has their own organizations for locksmiths such as the Masters Locksmith Association (MLA) in the UK. Since there is no accreditation provided by the government for locksmiths, it’s important to check if the locksmith you’re contacting has the approval of the local locksmith institution, as applicable to where you live.
3. Check If Their Quotes Match
Sometimes, the website may quote a price for a particular service and when you call the company, they might quote a different price over the phone. Such locksmiths usually quote a lower price over the phone and once the work is actually done, they might price you for additional services which you had no idea about.
4. Mode of Payment
Though this isn’t a deal breaker, if your locksmith insists on only getting cash, then it’s a warning sign. This is acceptable if it’s a local locksmith with a small business, but be wary of ‘professional locksmith services’ on the Internet who refuse to accept card payments.
5. Find A Local Locksmith And Ask Your Friends
Word of mouth is one of the good ways to finding a trustworthy locksmith and if your friend or a family member has been served by a particular locksmith for years, then maybe they’re the ones to choose. It’s a lot safer that way, don’t you think?
6. Don’t Fall For Logos, Check The Website
It’s easy for a fake locksmith to have the logo of the Locksmith Association on their website or on their bills. So, don’t trust their license based on just that. Most institution websites let you search the company’s name or address and if their name pops up on the list of the Accredited Company, then you’re good to go.
Using these tips to find good locksmith lockup services may sometimes seem time-consuming, but don’t you think the peace of knowing that your locks are in the hands of trustworthy locksmiths is worth it all?
