Locksmith scam artists keying in on local residents
11:01 PM PST on Wednesday, November 21
By eric wilkinson / king 5 news
Some shady locksmiths keep you locked out SEATTLE Some shady locksmiths have keyed in on the Puget Sound Area, overcharging unsuspecting customers sometimes by hundreds of dollars.
Karin Lee's 8-year-old son had managed to lock the door to his bedroom, locking himself in and his mother out. They key was nowhere to be found.
Desperate and at the end of a long day, Lee consulted her phone book and found an ad for a locksmith, which stated it was local and reliable.
The company quoted her a rate of $55 over the phone, but when the locksmith arrived, the price had tripled.
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"I looked at him and kinda got that sinking feeling that I was about to get shafted, " said Lee.
The Better Business Bureau says it's a common scam that's happening nationwide. The companies with local phone numbers route calls through other states where they dispatch their disreputable workers.
"As soon as they're getting caught by police or caught by another organization in Seattle, they'll all of a sudden just fly-by-night and just move to another city and start another company in another city and start swindling customers in that city, " said Marcella Kallman of the Better Business Bureau.
Shady locksmiths depend on you being unprepared and vulnerable, so it's important for you to know what to do if you feel you're being taken advantage of.
First of all, ask the person on the phone if there will be an additional charge when the locksmith arrives.
Next, make sure to get a quote for the original price in writing before any work is done.
And, if the locksmith tries to charge you more, don't be afraid to tell him 'no thanks' and call somebody else.
"You also want to make you sure never pay up front. Make sure they are performing the service you want them to do. Once they have done that, and done that successfully, then you can pay them, " said Kallman.
The Better Business Bureau has received numerous complaints about a company called "All Metro Area Locksmiths", as well as a New York outfit named "Dependable Locks" that does business as "Seattle Locksmiths, " "24 hour Locksmiths, " "24/7 Locksmiths, " "A Emergency Locksmiths, " and " Always Ready Locksmiths."
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