A dependable locksmith? Seven's On Your Side
(New York-WABC, August 3) - They are called Dependable Locksmiths, but according to the Better Business Bureau, if you call them, you might find that you've been overcharged instead.
Consumer Alerts and Recalls
7's On Your Side!
Seven On Your Side's Tappy Phillips found that complaints about this locksmith go way beyond the New York area.
The headquarters of Dependable Locksmiths is in the Bronx. But what does it have to do with ads in the Seattle phone book and a listing in Elizabeth, New Jersey? According to complaints made to the Better Business Bureau, they are all the same operation.
"In this particular case, it's a locksmith who quotes you one price over the phone, but when they get there it's not so reasonable, " said Claire Rosenzweig of the Better Business Bureau.
We tested it out. We had our intern lock the keys to a Jeep in the ignition and call a 908-area code number for Dependable Locks.
We were quoted $39 to show up and then $15 and up depending on the difficulty of the job. Then they called back and said it might be $89. But when they were done, it was $125 dollars. And when we asked about the price hike?
Tappy Phillips: "You gave her a quote over the phone, then you called again and said $89 and now it's what, 125?"
Locksmith: "Yea, it's a $35 dollar service and $85 dollar to get the car open."
Tappy: "That's not what you told her, you told her eighty-five to get the car on... Now it's 125."
Locksmith: "Because the thirty-nine dollars was..."
Tappy: "You don't think that's deceptive?.."
In the end, they agreed to accept $85 dollars.
And what about the Elizabeth, New Jersey address — 169 Washington Avenue — where Dependable claims they are? Well, it turns out it's not a locksmith at all, it's a pizzeria.
"When you call them you think you're calling someone local, you're not... You're calling some call center, " Rosenzweig said.
According to the BBB, calls to Seattle, Elizabeth and numbers listed in other cities around the country, all go here.
Tappy: "The better Business Bureau has called you particularly disreputable."
Worker: "Excuse me, can you leave the premises."
So how do you protect yourself? The BBB suggests not waiting until you're locked out to locate a locksmith. Find one locally, check it out for complaints and keep the number in your wallet in case of emergencies.
(Copyright 2007 WABC-TV)
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