Undercover Locksmith Investigation
Last Update: 6:10 pm
Reported by: John Matarese
It's happened to almost all of us: You lock yourself out of your home, car, or apartment. Your only hope: A locksmith.
But the Better Business Bureau has a warning about an emergency locksmith company that it says could cost you a lot more than you bargained for.
The Common Complaint
You know the feeling: You lock your car door... Then realize your your keys are inside. That's exactly what happened to Heather Slavey of Florence, Ky.
But this mom had to do something... So she grabbed the Yellow Pages, and called a locksmith with a big ad and local number called "Always Ready."
It promised 15 minute service, 24 hours a day, at a good price.
The Escalating $39 Charge
"They quoted me over the phone 39 dollars, " she explains.
But Heather's receipt tells another story. She says "when they got there, they had an additional charge of $110."
The total charge, which she had to pay on the spot: $149... A far cry from $39.
She was furious, telling me "I feel like they were misleading and deceptive!"
In addition, her receipt shows that "Always Ready" was really a company called "Dependable Locksmith" out of the Bronx, New York!
What the BBB Files Say
The Better Business Bureau says Heather's experience is common. It's issued a warning about what it calls a — quote — "Nationwide locksmith swindle" involving "Dependable Locksmith."
The BBB says"Dependable" —which it says uses more than a dozen names — has an "unsatisfactory" record with 217 recent complaints.
But was Heather's inflated bill a fluke? We decided to test them. We go Undercover
We asked a newsroom producer —Suzanne — to call "Always Ready"... After we locked her out of a Chevy Blazer in a public parking lot.
The phone rep quoted her $39: Sound familiar?
As we rolled our hidden camera... A man in an unmarked SUV soon pulled up. But he had some bad news: It would cost her another 110 dollars.
At this point, however, who's going to call another locksmith? So Suzanne allowed him to grab his tools, at which point he popped the door, and gave Suzanne a "high five."
But she wasn't high fiving. As the receipt showed, he billed her $149 dollars... Not the $39 originally quoted.
What did he say when we confronted him with our camera? He jumped in his SUV and peeled out of the parking lot.
Back in the newsroom, I called "Dependable" for their side of the story. I left two messages with phone reps. Neither was returned... Nor is an e-mail I sent to their website.
What You Can Do
So don't let this happen to you:
When calling a locksmith, look for an ad with a local address.
Ask where their office is located.
Finally, ask if there may be extra charges... So you don't end up with a bill you can't afford.
The Latest
Meantime, the arm of the law is starting to notice.
The state of Illinois has pulled "Dependable's" license to practice in that state.
And former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro filed suit against a Cleveland area locksmith called "Superb Solutions'... That the BBB report says was just another name for "Dependable Locksmith" out of New York. That case is still pending.
So ask questions and Don't Waste your Money. I'm John Matarese.
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