Keyway Lock Service wants the best for our customers. While finding a locksmith online is relatively easy, finding a reputable locksmith service, that won’t take advantage of your time and money can be more difficult.
Often, when we need a locksmith’s services, we need them fast. Being locked out of your car or home can be extremely frustrating, but selecting a locksmith service too quickly can leave you open to bad service and being overcharged and left in even more of a lurch.
Spotting a Disreputable Locksmith
There are ways to quickly spot when a locksmith or lock service is not going to provide fair and honest service.
They quote an extremely low price
If the price that the locksmith is quoting sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is. A locksmith scammer will quote you one price over the phone, then quote you a much different, higher price when they arrive or once the job is complete. Keyway keeps our prices fair, and competitive and we always honor the original quote.
They ask for deposits before a job is complete
If a locksmith is asking for any amount of money before the job is complete, they are likely a scammer. Additionally, they may leave once they have a deposit, claiming they need different tools. They are unlikely to return. At Keyway, we only charge you what it takes to do the job right and when we do charge you it’s only when the job is finished. And with our large mobile fleet of vehicles, we have the equipment already with us to get any job done at any time.
They don’t have a physical office location
Many local locksmith services offer mobile service that will come directly to your location, and Keyway is one of them. However, we also have a local office location in Alexandria, VA. And while we cover many service areas in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., you can always stop our office in person for service, like duplicating keys, any time. A disreputable locksmith is unlikely to have a local address or the address they provide will be fake.
They use an 800 number
If your local locksmith is in fact local, they will have a local phone number and area code. If the locksmith is using a toll free or 800 number, they are probably not legitimate.
Our mobile fleet of vans feature our company logo. A scammer’s van will likely be unmarked.
They don’t accept credit
Credit card payments can be traced once a scammer is reported. So a locksmith scammer will not accept it as a form of payment. If you are dealing with a legitimate locksmith service, they will accept credit, debit, or cash.
They don’t have company identification
Keyway Lock Service has clearly marked vans and our locksmiths wear a uniform shit with our logo and phone number on it. If a locksmith is dishonest, they probably have an unmarked van and no company apparel, making it easier to pass themselves off as several different businesses during the day.
Make Sure Your Locksmith is Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
Once you select a locksmith service and are comfortable that they are legitimate, there is one more thing you need to check: Make sure that the locksmith is bonded, licensed, and insured. If you are working with a licensed locksmith, that means they have liability insurance which will protect everyone financially if there is damage or an accident during the service. A bonded locksmith has even more protection if something goes wrong.
A licensed locksmith is licensed by the government and they will have filed paperwork recently to maintain their license. It also means they are up-to-date on their certifications and training as these are required to have a state and federal license.
Keyway Lock Service is licensed, bonded, and insured, which we proudly display throughout our website. And our license number is displayed on our homepage for easy reference.
Ultimately, it is so much easier to take the extra time to ensure the locksmith service you select is a legitimate, licensed, bonded, and insured company rather than having to deal with being the victim of fraud. Unfortunately, scammers are smart and becoming increasingly sophisticated online. Use the above items to evaluate any locksmith service, or save even more time and always call Keyway Lock Service for your locksmith issues. We are guaranteed to provide honest and efficient locksmith services.
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