How to spot a rogue locksmith
Choose well, choose once… choose US. City Lock & Safe Ltd are proud to be a long-standing approved company member of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA).
Locksmith Google Adverts Stating from £39 / £49 / £59 Price
The locksmith bait and switch price scheme is a major problem in the industry currently, resulting in customers being charged over £500 for simple jobs.
This is what a typical rogue locksmith bait and switch price advert looks like on Google.
This rogue locksmith advert will draw in desperate customers with the cheap £39 price point.
Bait and Switch Price – The final price is highly unlikely to be £39, we have seen some customers ending up with bills over £500 for a quick lock out job where a cheap initial price was promoted on advertising material.
City Lock & Safe Ltd have a pricing structure which is explained in advance, so you are sure what you are paying for.
How to Spot a Rogue Locksmith advert
A typical bait and switch rogue locksmith advert will likely consist of the following:
Cheap Advertised Price be wary of from £39 / £49 or £59 prices – we have found this is the price rogue locksmiths are using
Top of Google 1st position in the Google Adverts with cheap advertised price (£39/£49/£59) – they have PAID to be here, for a reason!
Nationwide Problem – Rogue locksmiths also turn on and off their adverts to appear in ALL areas of the UK and at certain times of the day.
If a low price looks too good to be true then more often than not it will be!
Claims of 3rd Party Approval / Certification / Accreditation
One of the other most popular red flags to look out for when hiring a locksmith are false claims of being certified, accredited or DBS checked.
Look out for any false claims of the following:
False claims of being Approved or Certified by a trade association
False claims of being Vetted by a 3rd party
False claims of being DBS checked
We come across many false claims of MLA Approved Company status, which is why we recommend verifying your locksmith is a full Master Locksmiths approved company.
As the MLA logo is trademarked we can take action against incorrect use, false claims of being MLA approved is also against the consumer protection from unfair trading regulations.
City Lock & Safe Ltd are fully accredited and vetted by the Master Locksmith Association
Our License number is 001539 and you can view our profile here.
Locksmith Claims to be Police Recommended or Work with Police Force
Another red flag is if the locksmith claims to be Police Recommended.
A rogue locksmith will usually claim the following:
Police Recommended – the Police do not recommend locksmith companies, the Police MAY advise using an MLA approved locksmith due to the vetting process our locksmiths go through, the Police are highly unlikely to recommend a specific company though.
Police Approved Locksmith – There is no such thing as being a “Police Approved Locksmith” – the Police DO NOT approve locksmiths!
Work with MET Police – The MET Police are aware of locksmiths making these false claims and falsely using their logo.
Genuine locksmiths may carry out locksmith jobs for the Police though, but they will not claim to be Police Approved or Police Recommended.
Locksmiths Name & Are They Subcontractors?
An additional red flag to be aware of when calling a locksmith is the use of subcontractors, this is often a clear sign the locksmith is not local and indeed a nationwide company/call centre you are phoning, it will often be the case that subcontractor details are not known or shared and if this is the case please be wary.
Questions to ask a suspected rogue locksmith:
Name of locksmith – Who will be carrying out the work, do you have the name of the locksmith?
Are they are a Subcontractor Ask if they are subcontracting the work
If a subcontractor – ask for the name and contact details in case any problems arise
Who are you paying – find out who your contract is actually with and who it is that you are paying
Our City Lock & Safe Ltd team are employed staff, in company vehicle in company uniform.
Tom Clarke
George Clarke
James Brooks
Andy Kay
Locksmith is Vague on the Phone about Price Details
A genuine locksmith should be able to provide a quote for the job either over the phone or by email, as long as they know details about the job.
Red flags of a rogue locksmith prices on the phone are:
Very vague about price details on the phone
Keeps mentioning a low price on the phone
Enable to give accurate price quote for the job e.g price of specific lock, cost to unlock your lock
We have a pricing structure which is explained in advance and you will receive a Customer Service Request Worksheet / Invoice upon completion
Drop us a message to discuss, or call in to our showroom & workshop on 33 Buxton Road, Stockport, SK2 6LU
Call our experts on 0161 480 6116
FREEPHONE on 0800 389 1957