Fraudulent Locksmiths - MSNBC "BBB urges consumers to protect themselves from 'nationwide swindle'"

For additional information and further reading on the hot topic of fraudulent locksmiths please see the following link...

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/321/RipOff0321544.htm org/AGMap/AG.htm

Fraud in AZ - 3 On Your Side, Gary Harper "Valley Woman Locks Horns with Locksmith Company"

Right here in the valley, unsuspecting citizens are being victimized by these unscrupulous thieves. Here is an excerpt from an article where Gary Harper, of 3 On Your Side from Channel 3 KTVK here in Phoenix, Arizona did an undercover sting on a so called locksmith....

Remember Lisa Mendez? She was prepared to pay $55 plus labor for a locksmith to unlock her front door. She wound up paying $300.
So, 3 On Your Side went undercover and called the same locksmith.
Locksmith rep: "Locksmith. How can I help you?"
Producer: "Yes, I locked my keys in my car. How much would it cost to unlock, say, our car door?
Locksmith rep: "It's a $55 service charge."
Producer: "Fifty-five dollars, that's it?"
Locksmith rep: "That's the service charge for the technician to come out."
Producer: "OK, are there any additional charges?"
Locksmith rep: "To open up the lock, it could be $20 to $50 more.
So, according to the verbal quote, we're prepared to pay up to $105. That includes the service call.
Within 20 minutes our locksmith pulls up in a brand-new unmarked Honda and before he ever pulls out a tool, he talks money.
Locksmith technician: "It's a $189 credit or debit or $175 cash."
Harper: "One hundred eighty-nine dollars?"
Turns out he says he's not even with the company we called. We called Lock and Key, but he claims he's with a company called 24/7.
Regardless, he stands firm on the $189.
Locksmith technician: "Every car is different. Some cars are more expensive than that. But we go by what it costs to break a window. To break a window on any car can be twice as expensive."
I never had him unlock our car door, but I did go ahead and pay the $55 service charge for coming out. You could call it a $55 lesson.
As for Mendez, she wants you to learn from her mistake
"This has got to stop because this is a rip-off," she said.
By the way, I called the company numerous times looking for comment on my report. They never called me back. I even went to their address, the one listed in the Yellow Pages, but the address doesn't exist.

State to state, city to city - this is same story time and time again, only thing that changes is the amount you're overcharged and their so called justification for doing so!

We here at AMERICAN KEY & SAFE offer ALL INCLUSIVE pricing, meaning the price we quote you is the price you'll pay, there are no hidden fees or charges! Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed!!!!





http://www.azfamily.com/news/3oys/stories/KTVK3OYS20060821_locksmith.21b44d9b.html

American Key & Safe Leads the Crusade to Protect Arizona against Fraudulent Locksmiths - We were the 1st Az Locksmith to offer ALL INCLUSIVE PRICING!

What exactly does Fraudulent Locksmith mean?

Across our great nation and even right here in your own city, there are unscrupulous individuals that call themselves locksmiths but are actually scam artists. They quote unsuspecting callers a lower than normal price to get them “in” then give them a bill that is usually two, three or even four times the quoted amount when they are done on the job. They have “taken” countless people in the valley and the numbers continue to grow – so we at AMERICAN KEY & SAFE are here to give you some tips on helping you protect yourself.

CONSUMER TIPS: When calling there are a few easy steps to ensure you are hiring a reputable local Phoenix, Arizona Locksmith.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do is be prepared!
Do your research now before you need a locksmith! A referral from family/friends is always a good place to start. After locating a reputable local locksmith shop, program their number in your cell phones. If you have any questions call them or even feel free to visit their location. This confirms they are a legitimate business and gives you the opportunity to “interview” them to get a feel for who you’ll be doing business with. While there, grab some business cards for your family as well as colleagues and friends before you or anyone you know is stuck in an emergency situation and have to rely on the phone book. The larger the ad size doesn’t necessarily mean the bigger or better company. Majority of the fraudulent locksmiths have the largest two or three page spread ads in the largest valley books. Make sure the company’s name is CLEARLY stated in the ad and is not a generic alias name such as some of the ones they are using; such as AAA Locksmith, A-1 Locksmith, 24 Hour Locksmith and 24/7 Locksmith. The BBB sites two companies as the basis for most of the problems. See their reports at http://central-northern-western-arizona.bbb.org/article/bbb-warns-public-about-locksmith-1085. Between these two firms there are literally hundreds of fictitious business names that they flood the alphabetical listings in the phone books and internet listings with. They even go as far as using names and trade names that are legally owned and registered to locally owned locksmiths but place their own local phone number in the listing, but as always, this number is routed to a call center in another part of the country. This is not only stealing business away from the company that legally owns that name but is making the customer they just defrauded believe it’s linked to the actual reputable local company, doing more damage to the reputations of the legitimate company and the locksmith industry than is imaginable. These deceitful firms and their less than qualified local subcontractors that they dispatch valley jobs to are damaging the trust that we, at AMERICAN KEY & SAFE as well as other reputable local locksmiths, have worked very hard to earn!

Remember toll free could mean lots of fees!
A good indicator of a phony locksmith is an 800, 888 or 866 toll free number. These are almost always numbers to a call center in another state. In the alphabetical name listings of locksmiths these dishonest companies have learned that using local 480 or 602 numbers gives the consumer the impression they are local, so when calling a business with only a “one line” listing and no other display ads, please take extreme caution.

Where is your shop located and what are your business hours?
If they don’t have an actual retail shop within the valley, then beware! There are very few reliable local mobile based locksmith companies, so unless you’ve received their information directly from a trustworthy source than caution should be used. The phony locksmiths have saturated the internet (Google, Yellow Pages, etc.) as well as local telephone directories, such as Dex and Yellow Book, with their numerous fictitious names, all with different addresses and different phone numbers that all ring to one call center usually located outside of Arizona. All of these locations are vacant lots, residences or even are non existent addresses but when mapped out, they cover all the major Phoenix Metropolitan city mile grids so they look like they are within a few miles or your location. We are NOT just a mobile locksmith. Our shop is conveniently located in Mesa on the South side of Southern Avenue, just West of Superstition Springs Mall. We welcome you to come in and meet our friendly family of technicians and get to know us before you need us so you feel comfortable knowing who you are entrusting your security to!

Are you a member of Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA)?
We are proud members of ALOA. You can confirm this by visiting their search page on their website.

What is the final price? American Key & Safe was the 1st Arizona locksmith to offer an "ALL INCLUSIVE" price!
Make sure to get an estimate on the work you are calling them to do BEFORE you authorize them to come out and do it. Price gouging and over charging is their game. They hook you by quoting you a much lower price than what you would have received when calling around to legitimate local locksmith shops, only to add additional fees at the job, claiming the amount they quoted you was just for the service call. If they give you a quote that includes a price “plus labor” or “plus a service call” then be wary! A legitimate locksmith should be able to explain all of their charges included in the job you are asking them to quote, and if for some reason the job might end up requiring more work than you’re requesting then they should explain that to you up front. We at AMERICAN KEY & SAFE provide our callers with an “all inclusive” price, ensuring you will not receive any additional charges at the time of the job. In some instances the so called technician these phony locksmiths have sent out to you asks you to sign the invoice up front, sometimes stating that you’re giving him permission to do the work or touch your property. NEVER sign a blank invoice!

Are you who you say you are?
Legitimate locksmiths should ask you to verify who you are so be prepared to show the technician ID or proof that you have the legal right to gain access to the property you are asking them to unlock or make keys for. If for ANY reason you feel that something isn’t right, you also have the right to ask questions. Ask to see a business card or invoice to prove they are who they say they are. All of our technicians wear company shirts as well as carry invoices with our information clearly printed on them. If you get an uncomfortable feeling about the technician sent to do the work, you do have the right to ask them to leave and tell them you do not want them to do the work. It’s not uncommon for these so called locksmiths to start the job using actual locksmith tools but many times have ended up drilling out the lock unnecessarily or breaking into the car with more crude items such as a coat hanger or more common household tools. You have the right to ask them if anything their doing is going to end up costing you any more money. If you feel your property is going to be left damaged and they have not yet gotten the lock open, feel free to stop them and ask them to leave. We at AMERICAN KEY & SAFE will make sure to explain any additional efforts that will be made and the costs associated with such measures, if any.

We have a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee!


If you feel that you are a victim of such phony locksmith practices, please contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Office at 602-542-5025 or http://www.azag.gov/contact.html and file a complaint immediately.

Lock Bumping - How Safe Are Your Locks??

What exactly is LOCK BUMPING and am I at risk?
How Safe Are Your Locks? By Rene' Roberts
Do thieves have access to your home, mailbox or even your business?

We guard our house, car, and mailbox keys with the same vigilance as our wallets. But what if anyone, even a child, could gain access to your locks without your keys?

Lock bumping, which takes its name from how an altered key can actually undo a lock, has been known in Europe and among local thieves for years. The only people in the dark are the consumers who rely on locks to ensure their safety and privacy.

A large majority of locks that open with a key, called pin tumbler locks, have structural weaknesses built into them that can be exploited by people with little or no understanding of how locks work. In fact, most locks can be bumped open with any key that fits that lock, but does not open it. For example, if you open your mailbox with a key, your key will probably fit into other mailboxes in your area —even though postal locks are protected under federal law. Unfortunately majority of valley homes have these most basic level of security locks on them. This can be attributed to home builders buying these locks in bulk from home improvement stores which also sell these same locks to homeowners when they are replacing their own locks. Unfortunately for homeowners these are the easiest type of lock to bump, and with bumping tools for sale on the internet for about $4, homeowners should be extremely worried and taking immediate action.

Bumping is easier to master than picking locks, and in many cases can leave very little evidence behind if any. The lack of evidence of forced entry is leaving many victims helpless and holding the bill when insurance companies deny their theft claims as there’s no real proof of a break in. Some insurance companies now offer discounts for it’s clients that take measures to increase the security of the their homes. Call your agent to see what discounts they offer, many times these discounts can end up covering the cost to the consumer for increasing their security.

“I always recommend ‘high-security’ locks,” says local Phoenix locksmith, Jody Howard, owner of American Key & Safe. “With the right tool, even my wife and six-year-old son were able to bump a lock open.” Howard points out, “The first step to take in raising the security level on your home is to call a reputable locksmith and have them swap your entry level locks with higher security models. While the high security locks do cost more up front, their cost is washed out by the much higher level of protection they provide to the homeowner’s property each and every day, making the homeowner extremely unlikely of ever becoming a victim of theft by lock bumping. There are also many other advantages to upgrading to high security locks. Such as knowing your keyway is protected and can only be duplicated by the locksmith that holds the rights to that keyway, leaving the homeowner with a secure feeling that when they receive their key back from lending it out, that copies weren’t made.” Manufacturers such as Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Schlage make locks that are reported to be bump-resistant, all of which Howard highly recommends and sells at his Mesa shop or via his mobile fleet of technicians that will come directly to your home or business and even install them for you!


“I would say ninety percent of valley homes and businesses are vulnerable,” says Howard, whose shop is conveniently located on Southern Avenue West of the Superstition Springs Mall in Mesa. “It’s scary what the underworld knows that most people don’t.”


I have received this viral video a dozen or more times in the past few days, so obviously this is a hot topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr23tpWX8lM