Phony locksmiths ripping people off with bait-and-switch pricing

If phony locksmiths ripping people is on your radar, this short guide cuts through the noise. Here is what is worth knowing, and how to put it to work today.

Key Takeaways

• Advertisement Phony locksmiths who populate the top of search results pages are ripping people off with outrageous bait-and-switch pricing.
• Picture this: You lock yourself out of your car.
• You misplace the keys for your home or apartment.

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Phony locksmiths who populate the top of search results pages are ripping people off with outrageous bait-and-switch pricing.

Picture this: You lock yourself out of your car. You misplace the keys for your home or apartment. Or a key breaks off in a lock at your business. What do you do? You reach for your phone and just do a Google search for a locksmith.

‘Any job $20. Guaranteed arrival in 20 minutes or less.’ Sounds excellent, right? Wrong!

Read more: Best and worst door locks for your money

A look at the fake locksmith scam

Our senior producer Kim was in need of a locksmith once and almost fell for one of these cons. She found a listing on her phone that had the above pitch. When the guy showed up, two hours later, he wanted to charge her $350!

These people are just cons. If you are in an emergency situation, go to Yelp and look for locksmiths with multiple reviews; just don’t mistakenly click on the ads!  

If you’re a business, it’s even better to develop a relationship with a locksmith you know and trust before you’re in a desperate situation. Clark says he’s been with the same locksmith for at least a couple decades now.

Just know that you’re not going to get somebody to show up in 20 minutes and do the job for $20!

Here are a few additional tips from the Better Business Bureau to help you weed out the scams:

• If you call a number and all they say is, ‘locksmith,’ but no official name , that could indicate you’re dealing with a sketchy player.
• Get a complete iron clad quote over the phone. Have it sent to you by text message so there’s no question later.
• Ask for identification from any individual who comes purporting to represent a particular locksmith.

Read more: How to shop for a home security system

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Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check phony locksmiths ripping people against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at clark.com.