I am shocked to learn that only 9 of 50 states require locksmith licensing

1. Alabama
2. California
3. Illinois
4. Louisiana
5. New Jersey
6. North Carolina
7. Oklahoma
8. Tennessee
9. Texas

If you DON’T live in one of those states, you need to be highly aware of locksmith scams.

“Phony locksmith” companies purposely manipulate phone book and internet listings with multiple false addresses and phone numbers to make it seem like a neighborhood business. In actuality, consumers are calling out-of-state operations that are not locksmith companies. The consumer is quoted a reasonable price over the phone, but when a person posing as a locksmith finishes the job, the consumer is charged a considerable amount more for unnecessary and/or sub-standard work.

The complaint heard most often by consumers is for car openings. The price quoted over the phone to stranded motorist is around $45. When the individual arrives and unlocks the car, he hands the motorist a bill for $135 - $150. This unscrupulous individual tells the frustrated consumer that the $45 was just the service call and that it was another $90 - $100 for servicing the lock. ALOA has record of a number of incidents of elderly consumers locked out of their homes and being charged $900 to $1700 to replace a $12 lock. These out-of-state operations are set up solely to make money by purposely defrauding the public.

The Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) has created a 10-point Phony Locksmith check-list for detecting a locksmith company that may be engaging in this scheme. Many of the items in this checklist are legal by themselves, however, if several are used together, you may be dealing with a con artist:

1. Not Familiar with Your Area . To ensure that the company is local, make sure that they are familiar with your area of town .
2. “Locksmith Service.” Unscrupulous individuals often operate under many business names/aliases. Thus, they must answer the phone with a generic phrase like, “locksmith service.” If the call is answered this way, ask, “What is the legal name of your business.”
3. ALOA Logo. Does the Yellow Pages ad contain a logo that makes them appear to belong to ALOA? While many locksmiths do belong to the Association, some unscrupulous individuals trick the consumer by falsely using the ALOA logo. You can always check to see if in fact these businesses are members by calling ALOA, (800) 532-2562 or www.findalocksmith.com .
4. Unclear Business Name. Look closely at the ad(s). Is the specific name of the business clearly identified? Does it appear that the dealer actually operates under several names? If a Web address is listed, does the name on the Web site match the name on the ad?
5. “Under Same Ownership” This confusing statement, often found in small print at the bottom of a full-page ad in phone directories, give consumers a sense that the firm has been in business for awhile. The statement itself may be a warning sign that the company operates under several aliases. Also, the ad sometimes lists association memberships for organizations that do not exist, (i.e. American Locksmith Association).
6. Service Vehicle. Some legitimate locksmiths will work out of a car or unmarked van for quick jobs, but most will arrive in a service vehicle, a van or truck that is clearly marked.
7. Identity. A legitimate locksmith should ask for identity and some form of proof that you have the authority to allow the unlocking to be done. You have the right to ask for the locksmith’s identification as well. Does he have a business card? Does he have an invoice or bill with the company name printed on it? Does it match the name on the service vehicle?
8. Estimate. Find out what the work will cost before you authorize it. Never sign a blank form authorizing work.
9. Invoice. Insist on an itemized invoice. You can’t dispute a charge without proof of how much you paid and what the payment was for .
10. Refuse. If you are not comfortable with the service provider, you can, and should, refuse to work with the locksmith.

Check for a valid state license number . The states that have licensing for locksmith services (AL,CA, IL, LA, NJ, NC, OK, TN and TX ) may require the licensed locksmith company to include a state license number on their vehicles, advertising, and all paperwork. If your state requires licensing, then the technician must show you his/her identity card, which is a good indicator of legitimacy. These licensed locksmiths and their companies have been investigated by the state and found free of criminal activity in their past, and are required to have current valid liability insurance policies in force. States with a licensing law typically have a consumer protection hotline number to call and a mailing address for complaints to be sent to. Do not pay anyone that will not provide you with this information. If your state does not have a licensing law to protect you, ask your legislator for that protection. The Associated Locksmiths Of America (ALOA) supports state licensing for the purpose of protecting the consumer and can assist your legislator in drafting laws to protect consumers from phony locksmith scams.

Daniel Vasquez, consumer columnist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes:

Door open for discussion of locksmith licensing

If you’ve ever had to call a locksmith, you know it’s usually an emergency.

Even when time isn’t a factor, the bill can easily be hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. And when a locksmith arrives, he or she literally has the keys to your kingdom, be it home or office.

But unlike a growing number of states, Florida does not regulate locksmiths. That means the state has no licensing, background checks or training requirements.

Those are some of the key reasons locksmiths across South Florida and the state claim the industry is rife with untrained, unqualified service providers. And when you call a locksmith, you never know who will show up at your door: a seasoned professional, untrained novice or even someone with a criminal past or intentions of cheating you.

Fortunately, two state legislators are working to change all of that.

Six months ago, I wrote a column calling for licensing and regulation of locksmiths, as is done in Miami-Dade County, the only area in Florida that does so. That was after a group of Broward County and Palm Beach County locksmiths educated me about how regulations would benefit professionals and consumers alike.

“We need a law that will give the consumer a way to hold locksmiths liable for shoddy workmanship and price gouging,” says Mark Chrisman, owner of A-Mobile Locksmith in Hollywood. Two months ago, he joined more than 50 other professionals at a town hall meeting hosted by the Associated Locksmiths of America, a national trade group that is working toward regulation in every state. Each attendee supported the Florida effort, he says.

Earlier this year, two identical bills were introduced in Tallahassee, sponsored by Sen. Victor Crist, R- Tampa, and Rep. Tom Anderson, R-Dunedin.

They are modeled on similar laws passed in nine other states, including California, New Jersey and Illinois. And if passed, they will revolutionize the Sunshine State’s locksmithing industry, requiring high professional standards, accountability and stiff penalties for scofflaws.

Provisions include:

• Creating a licensing board housed with the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The board would be responsible for, among other things, setting education and testing requirements.
• Mandatory fingerprinting and recurring background checks.
• Requirements for locksmiths to provide a license number in all advertisements, including the name of the business filed with the state.
• Insurance policies sufficient to pay for damages caused by negligence.
• Fines of up to $10,000 for any violation of the law.

I’ve had to hire more than a few locksmiths over the years. I welcome these tough yet fair regulations. Plenty of professionals do, too.

Why? As Crist puts it: A locksmith law “will ensure that when a vulnerable citizen hires a locksmith to install a lock or make a key, he will be a professional, honest and capable person,” says Crist. “And not a would-be thief setting a customer up for a hit.”

“Customers will benefit by knowing who they are dealing with,” says John Rosenblatt, a manager with C.K.’s Lockshop and Security Center in Delray Beach. “And locksmiths will be accountable for their work.”

Yet despite the support of many locksmiths and the common-sense appeal of the legislation, it appears the bills drafted by Anderson and Crist are unlikely to be taken up by the Legislature this session. Anderson’s office says it appears his bill will not be reviewed by the committees it has to pass — before legislators can debate it — because those House panels have wrapped up their scheduled work.

Both legislators plan to introduce them again next year.

But I say: Why wait? Now’s a good time to voice an opinion, if you have one, to convince legislators that this is the right thing to do.

If you live in one of the states that doesn’t require licensing, it may be worth “paying it forward” by contacting your congressman to start the process.   Maybe your actions can keep a friend or neighbor from getting burned.

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 10:47 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.