The Florida Locksmith Services Act has still not been passed, despite the backing of locksmiths from all around Florida and nationwide.

The Florida Locksmith Services Act is designed to regulate the locksmith industry. Currently, Florida is one of 36 states that does not regulate locksmiths.

It is hoped that this act will keep the unfair "locksmiths" out of the trade and also cut down on the false advertising.

What are these unfair locksmiths?

There are many, many phone numbers listed in the Yellow Pages and online that forward to a call center. These call centers will dispatch a locksmith after quoting a price such as "$29 plus labor". That's pretty open-ended, and the person phoning only hears the $29 part. After the locksmith arrives and opens the lock, the price could quickly jump to $159 or more. It all depends on how much the "locksmith" thinks they can get from you. If you appear desperate and vulnerable, I'm sure they'll get as much as they can from you.

What is this false advertising?

The Yellow Pages this year (particularly the YellowBook... what an offensive and distasteful trash listing) has hundreds of listings in the Locks & Locksmiths section. These listings also have fake addresses that don't have a locksmith store or dispatch location, so you get the impression that you are calling a local locksmith.

I did a study of the YellowBook this year and found this pattern:

Listings that don't start with area code 727 or 813 are listings that forward to one of these call centers. Area codes in this year's book include 425, 480, 503, 602, 612, 772, 786 and some 352, 800, 866, and 888. These aren't local numbers, people! Sure, the toll-free numbers may or may not be legit. We have a toll-free number. But the other area codes are not local to St Petersburg, Clearwater, or even Tampa Bay.

Most of the telephone numbers (not all) starting with 727-213-xxxx, 727-232-xxxx, 727-302-xxxx, 727-322-xxxx, 727-368-xxxx, 727-392-xxxx, 727-397-xxxx, 727-433-xxxx, 727-437-xxxx, 727-446-xxxx, 727-451-xxxx, 727-493-xxxx, 727-548-xxxx, 727-564-xxxx, 727-803-xxxx, 727-821-xxxx, 727-842-xxxx, 727-844-xxxx, 727-940-xxxx, and 813-514-xxxx have an address beside the telephone numbers that are not a store or dispatch office. These listings are in the book to make you think they are local to your area. Visit the addresses listed. You're not going to find a locksmith. You'll notice hundreds of 727-451-xxxx and a lot of 727-322-xxxx listings with addresses listed next to them. Hold on a minute... do you really think that there are this many locksmith stores in Pinellas County? There's probably only about 3 dozen locksmiths with actual stores, listed mailing addresses, or with home addresses they are willing to have you come to. The rest are there to deceive you into thinking that they are local.

Out of the 8 pages of listings in the Locks & Locksmiths section, this could easily be reduced to 3 pages of legitimate listings. The odds are against you when you choose a locksmith at random out of the YellowBook.

Here's a story that ran on Tampa Bay's 10 Connects:

Florida locksmith law proposed to help find, eliminate bad locksmiths

They found the same pattern. The only phone number they specifically targeted was the 727-451-xxxx exchange. Nice start, but it's bigger than that.

I found this comment on their article interesting:

A Yellowbook spokesperson issued the following statement:

"Like many publishers, policing each and every business listing that is placed into its books is incredibly difficult. As a result, Yellowbook has elected to publish only paid advertiser listings in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater moving forward. This new policy, which will help ensure the validity of the Locksmiths listed in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater directory, is effective immediately and will be reflected in the 2010/2011 directory."

Excuse me?! I could have had my listing published for FREE?

Shame on YellowBook. I don't think we'll be supporting YellowBook from here on. What a trash directory! Absolute garbage! We will not stand for what they have contributed to the locksmith industry one bit! Done! Prove yourself to us that you have eliminated the fake listings first, before we renew a listing with you. YellowBook can take their book and... well... you know what they can do.

So, back to the topic, the Florida Locksmith Services Act. I hope this gets passed and actually is a force that contributes to the good of the industry, rather than just taxes the locksmiths and sits back. I've heard from locksmiths in other states that complain that their state just collects the fees and doesn't enforce the laws. I have a bad feeling Florida is going to be one of those states that sits back and watches the money roll in from law-abiding locksmiths while the scammers keep defrauding unsuspecting victims.

Well, I was checking BBB ratings of locksmiths in the Tampa Bay area and came across this:

BBB review of Dependable Locks, Inc

It seems that Dependable Locks, Inc of Clearwater has finally had their phones shut down. This is a big victory for all who have had a bad experience with them.

Here are snippets of the rating that BBB has written:


BBB Reliability Report for
Dependable Locks, Inc
BBB Rating No Rating

Note:
It appears that this business is no longer in business.


BBB Accreditation

This business is not a BBB Accredited Business.


BBB Rating for Dependable Locks, Inc

Based on BBB files, Dependable Locks, Inc has a BBB Rating of NR .

Reasons for this rating include:

• This business has no rating because BBB has information indicating it is out of business.

Complaints received by the BBB indicate that Dependable Locksmith employs deceptive and misleading advertising and sales practices. In several markets throughout the U.S., the company places several similar ads with false or nonexistent local addresses, most often in yellow page directories, to give the impression that each ad represents a different entity. However, calls to the local and toll-free numbers provided in these ads are in fact routed to the company's call center.

Consumers who find themselves locked out of their vehicles or homes state that they identify the company through yellow page listings or by searching online. When they call, they are given an initial price quote usually under $100. However, when the locksmith arrives, the price is inflated with numerous additional charges that were previously not disclosed to the consumer, and in many cases the final bill can be in excess of several hundred dollars.

Complaints also state that the locksmiths, their techniques and the equipment used are sub-par, and replacement locks provided by the company can be purchased at a hardware store for significantly less than the company's charge for the same equipment. Consumers have also complained that wait times are often several hours, despite being told that a technician would arrive within 15-30 minutes of the call. Consumers state that locksmiths arrive in unmarked vehicles, and have indicated that technicians do not appear to be qualified, licensed locksmiths.

Consumers who later complained about the price to the company expressed that the company's manager promised a discount or refund, but none was provided. Complaints further allege that employees of the company would hang up or respond unprofessionally when consumers attempted to reach a representative.


Business Contact and Profile for Dependable Locks, Inc

Name:
Dependable Locks, Inc

Phone:
(866) 429-9485

Fax:
(727) 464-9012

Address:
407 S Arcturas Ave
Clearwater, FL 33765-3514

Website:
www.safeandfastlocksmith.com
www.locksmith-baltimore.com
www.usatotalsecurity.com

Principal:
Mr. David Peer, President

Customer Contact:
Ms. Mellissa Liburd, General Manager - (866) 429-9485 or dependablecustomercare@mail.com

Entity:
Corporation

Incorporated:
January 2006, NY

File Open Date:
February 2007

Type of Business:
Lock Companies

BBB Accreditation:
Dependable Locks, Inc is not a BBB Accredited business.

Additional DBA Names:
Neighborhood Locksmith
Mr. Locksmith Inc.
Dependable Locksmith
Always Available Locksmith
A1 Locksmith Inc-Superb Solutions
A Thirty Five Dollar Locksmith
Emergency & Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith
Priceline Locksmith, Inc.
A-1 Locksmiths
24 Hour Locksmith
A #1 24 Hour Locksmith
A 24 Hour Locksmith
AAA 24 & 7 Day Locksmith
A Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith
A Emergency A Locksmith
A Locksmith Always 24 Hour
A Locksmith A 1-24 Hour
A Locksmith 00 24 Hour
A Locksmith O Always 24 Hour
A Locksmith Service 24 Hour
A Locksmith 24 Hour Emergency
A Locksmith
A Kansas City #1 Emergency Locksmith
24 Hour A Locksmith at St. Louis
24 Hour A Locksmith
Locksmith
0 24 Hour Locksmith
Quick Locksmith
A1 24 Hour Lock Service
24 7 A Locksmith
1-2-3 24 Hour Locksmith
Brooklyn Lock
A Locksmith Emergency
Locksmith 24 Hour
24 Hour Emergency
Locksmith 2
123 24 Hour Locksmith
Pasadena Office Locksmith
24 Hours Locksmith
America's Total Security

Prior to doing business in Florida, the company operated at 295 W 231 St, Bronx, New York 10463. The BBB has a separate report on that location, whixh can be accessed at http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?pid=44&page=1&id=84849.


Business Management

Additional company management personnel include:
Yuval Ohana
Genadi Glik
Ms. Ashley Prestileo
Bahaa Dawoud
Kylie
Robert
Yosef Ishaki
Cheryl
Wilbert
Jacob
Eli
Brian Levy
Bill
Ofor Yoefut
Billy
Oryan
Omar Yosef
Kenny - Supervisor
Chelsea
Jude
Mr. Moshe Aharoni


Additional Locations and Phone Numbers

Additional Addresses
2643 Gulf to Bay Blvd Suite 1560-420
Clearwater, FL 33759

108 W Brandon Blvd
Brandon, FL 33511-5102

Additional Phone Numbers
- 313 (1)
Tel: (313) 279-0326
- 314 (2)
Tel: (314) 255-2256
Tel: (314) 960-3179
- 402 (1)
Tel: (402) 292-0401
- 404 (2)
Tel: (404) 683-2005
Tel: (404) 422-9043
- 414 (1)
Tel: (414) 837-8162
- 416 (1)
Tel: (416) 854-6787
- 425 (1)
Tel: (425) 303-8064
- 501 (1)
Tel: (501) 778-4368
- 604 (1)
Tel: (604) 275-2612
- 617 (1)
Tel: (617) 262-6584
- 619 (2)
Tel: (619) 465-8000
Tel: (619) 366-1706
- 636 (1)
Tel: (636) 287-9833
- 704 (1)
Tel: (704) 464-3190
- 718 (1)
Tel: (718) 581-5000
- 727 (5)
Tel: (727) 464-9005
Tel: (727) 464-9005
Tel: (727) 943-0479
Tel: (727) 847-4699
Tel: (727) 464-9025
- 734 (1)
Tel: (734) 629-1064
- 800 (1)
Tel: (800) 477-4320
- 813 (3)
Tel: (813) 600-2972
Tel: (813) 963-6541
Tel: (813) 684-1640
- 816 (1)
Tel: (816) 353-1120
- 866 (3)
Tel: (866) 775-4833
Tel: (866) 445-3763
Tel: (866) 355-5193
- 888 (4)
Tel: (888) 766-3634
Tel: (888) 762-1052
Tel: (888) 766-3634
Tel: (888) 452-4955
- 905 (1)
Tel: (905) 886-6794
- 925 (2)
Tel: (925) 202-5006
Tel: (925) 948-0546
- 952 (1)
Tel: (952) 807-0048
- 954 (1)
Tel: (954) 457-0401

Additional Fax Numbers

Fax: (866) 388-2687
Fax: (180) 032-4041 ext. 1
Fax: (727) 572-6962

Additional Web Addresses

www.locksmith-baltimore.com
www.usatotalsecurity.com


Customer Complaint History for Dependable Locks, Inc

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB processed a total of 202 complaints about Dependable Locks, Inc in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 202 complaints closed in 36 months, 107 were closed in the last year.

Advertising Issues
Resolved
3 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Unresolved
1 - Company failed to arbitrate the complaint in accordance with their BBB agreement.
Administratively Closed
1 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
1 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.

Contract Issues
Administratively Closed
1 - The parties could not provide sufficient information to support their positions nor were they agreeable to make reasonable efforts toward resolving the issues of the dispute.

Billing or Collection Issues
Resolved
8 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
20 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Unresolved
6 - Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
Administratively Closed
8 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
13 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
No Response
4 - Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.

Sales Practice Issues
Resolved
7 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
27 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Unresolved
3 - Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
Administratively Closed
8 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
9 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
No Response
2 - Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.
1 - Company indicated it will not resolve consumer issues through BBB process.

Delivery Issues
Administratively Closed
1 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.

Repair Issues
Resolved
7 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Unresolved
1 - Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
Administratively Closed
1 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
1 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
No Response
2 - Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.

Service Issues
Resolved
2 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
26 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Unresolved
4 - Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
Administratively Closed
6 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
4 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
No Response
3 - Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.

Customer Service Issues
Resolved
1 - Company resolved the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB.
7 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Unresolved
1 - Company failed to resolve the complaint issues through BBB voluntary and self-regulatory process.
Administratively Closed
3 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
2 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.
No Response
1 - Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.

Guarantee or Warranty Issues
Resolved
1 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.

Product Issues
Resolved
1 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
Administratively Closed
1 - BBB determined the company provided proper verification that indicated there was no obligation to resolve the issues of the complaint.

Refund or Exchange Issues
Resolved
2 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.
No Response
1 - Company failed to respond to BBB to resolve or address the complaint issues.


Government Actions

On April 2, 2009, the Missouri Attorney General filed a Petition against the company seeking restitution and injunctive relief to stop the company from deceiving and overcharging customers in Kansas City.

According to the Attorney General, Dependable Locks, Inc. violated Missouri law by fraudulently advertising itself by at least 16 different names that all led consumers to one company. In addition, company workers charged consumers 2-3 times more than the price quoted them to unlock their cars.

The Attorney General alleged that addresses listed for the different business names were bogus, and led to vacant lots and even homes of individuals not associated with the company. In addition, this locksmith company operated under business names that were not registered with the Missouri Secretary of State as required to conduct business in Missouri.

This matter is pending. For more information, please contact the Missouri Attorney General at (573) 751-3321 or ago.mo.gov.


Advertising Review

BBB has no information regarding advertising review at this time.


Out of Business

According to information in the BBB files, it appears that the company is no longer in business. The phone numbers the BBB had for this company are disconnected, and directory assistance does not have a listing for this company. The BBB's mail to this company has been returned as undeliverable. If you have an unresolved dispute with this company you may wish to seek legal advice.


BBB Copyright and Reporting Policy

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.

BBB Reliability Reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information in this BBB Reliability Report is believed reliable, but not guaranteed as to accuracy.

BBB Reliability Reports generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time.

If you choose to do business with Dependable Locks, Inc, please let them know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Reliability Report.

ID: 90028394
Report as of March 3, 2010 07:22
Copyright© 2010 Better Business Bureau


And there you have it. Wow! I cannot believe these guys survived for so long.

And you know what? I know that they are going to pop up in the next Yellow Pages under a new name and with new phone numbers, playing exactly the same game as before... deception and deceit.

And it will be up to us honest locksmiths to spread the word about these phonies so as to keep the locksmith industry from getting a bad name.

The fact is, they probably are still around, just waiting for the new wave of phone books to hit the street.

I went to the web addresses referenced by the report and they are all up and running, with new phone numbers listed. These phone numbers include:
410-864-8172
619-313-2865
760-697-9159
858-812-0265
866-870-2079 (temporarily disconnected)
877-231-6319
888-452-4955 (same as one listed above)

Whether or not they are practicing deceptively under the new phone numbers, I don't know. These phone numbers could be operated by more legitimate companies, but again, I don't know.

But even more astonishing is what ants can accomplish as an organized team. They cultivate farms, build elaborate bridges and they even build boats.

In fact, experts agree that by tapping into the individual strengths of each member, ants have developed one of the most productive and efficient social systems on earth.

We Would Like to Put Our Team to Work For You

We’ve designed our company much the same way. We have the right people, the right talents, and the right attitude which leads to one thing. Efficiency. It’s what you want. It’s what you expect. More importantly, it’s what we deliver. If you have a security need please give Sunshine Locksmith Team a call at 727-216-7912. We’d like to put our team to work for you.

We are going to be in the Seminole Pow Wow Parade on Saturday, March 13th, 2010.

Last year was fun. We teamed up with Critter Pal Pet Sitting and had people bring their pets for a walk-along up 113th Street in Seminole.

This year the parade is taking place between 10:00 am and noon, and it's on 113th Street, starting from just north of Park Blvd and ends at the Post Office / Library.

Mark it on your calendars. Hope to see you there!

Residents of Seminole (Pinellas County) that leave their vehicles unlocked may find a surprise.

It seems that the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is checking vehicles and locking them after placing a nice brochure on keeping your car locked.

This program is targeting the Palm Harbor and Seminole areas because vehicle burglary reports are above average there.

The police checked 239 cars on the evening of Feb. 5 and found 51 unlocked. That's over 21%! Wow!

I have a hard time comprehending that it's 2010 and people still leave their cars unlocked.

The fact that the police are locking your cars for you raises a few questions:

If you routinely leave your only set of keys hidden inside the car, now do you call a locksmith to open the car?

If you leave your car unlocked because the locks don't work or you don't have a key to the doors, are you going to need a locksmith to open the vehicle?

I haven't had any calls related to this yet, and I wonder if this is going to impact business any.

Deputies begin auto burglary prevention

One of the "hazards" of locksmithing is the potential conflict between the person who hired the locksmith, and the people they want to keep out.

Quite often, a locksmith is called in to keep employees, ex-wives, ex-husbands, unreliable contractors, etc. out.

It's always on the back of my mind, "What if the disgruntled (insert relationship here) comes back while I'm here?" I don't always enjoy the prospect of a job turning into a crime scene.

Here's a story about a locksmith in Oregon that had to change the locks for a woman who was trying to keep her partner out:

Oregon assistant AG Susan Gerber checks into treatment after being accused of strangling and punching her wife

The locksmith arrived to rekey the locks and witnessed a physical confrontation involving punching and choking, so he called the police.

A few States require locksmiths to be licensed. North Carolina is one of those States.

This story is about a company (A1A Locksmith and Security) that hired a few people and did not have locksmith licenses to cover the employees. Roi Gershon, Netta Eisner, and Dan Eisner are charged with fraud for performing locksmith services without the proper license.

The owner of A1A Locksmith and Security claims that he didn't know that one license was not sufficient to cover all employees, but according to the state licensing board, they sent two letters to the owner before the arrest was made.

"There's been stories of locksmiths coming in, and every re-key they do is on the same key," said Doug Selfe, of A-1 Safe and Lock (not to be confused with A1A Locksmith and Security). "So they have one key that fits 20, 30, 40 houses. Say he wants to go rogue, he can come back and break into any house he's done."

Locksmiths with Wilmington connections arrested in Raleigh

State licensing board cracks down on phony locksmiths

Two people facing locksmith fraud charges

If your state requires locksmith licensing, ask to see the license of the locksmith performing the work before work is started.

North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board Locksmith Search

Here's a news story about a couple that were going through a separation and the husband broke into the house:

Ill. murder suspect threatened to kill 2nd wife

The husband was a Chicago police sergeant and had lock picking tools.

The husband offered to change the locks on the house for the wife after the separation. The wife woke up in the middle of the night and found the former husband standing over her.

The wife did not know if the husband had made a set of keys or used the locksmith tools she said he carried.

When we (Sunshine Locksmith Team) rekey locks, we put spool pins into the locks whenever possible. This makes lock picking much more difficult. Not impossible, but it's going to be a lot harder for somebody without much picking experience to open the locks. I'm not aware of any other locksmith company in the Tampa Bay area that uses spool pins inside their locks. I don't know why. It does make a difference in the security level.

The next time you need your locks rekeyed we recommend you ask your locksmith to use spool pins (or mushroom pins). After all, it could mean the difference in your personal security.

Here's a story about a child in New Zealand that managed to lock himself in a vehicle:

One Click and Ashley's Trapped

It seems he grabbed his mother's keys and remote while getting strapped into the vehicle and ended locking himself in the car after his mother closed his door and went to the driver's side.

Sneaky kid. Remotes aren't toys.

The mother initially called the police. But the police couldn't open the car. So a locksmith was called that eventually got the car opened.

Careful with those keys, parents. It could happen to anybody I suppose.

Here's a rather funny story about somebody in Perkasie, Pennsylvania that tried to save a few bucks and ended up paying the price:

He Should Have Called a Locksmith

It seems somebody locked himself out of his car, and instead of calling a locksmith to open the vehicle, he called the police. People can either pay a locksmith and have a professional open the vehicle, or call the police and have somebody with little training open the car.

The police don't have the best tools or training to unlock a car. But that's not really the point of the story here.

The police arrived to unlock the vehicle and once the vehicle was opened they found marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside.

Not the brightest person. Good for the police.

Here's a story that appears today about bump keys and what some in New Jersey want done:

Scutari Wants To Increase Penalties For Illegal Use Of “Bump Keys”

What are "bump keys"?

Sunshine Locksmith Team has complied a page here about bump keys: What Are Bump Keys?

Bump keys are specially designed keys that work almost like a lock pick does. It manipulates the pins inside a lock to allow somebody to open a lock without the correct key.

This method used to be a locksmith's secret, but with the advent of the Internet, the secret has been revealed and bump keys are available from several sources online.

The news story referenced above discusses the penalties that New Jersey is considering for bump keys. Currently, bump key possession in New Jersey carries a $1,000 penalty and 6 months in prison. The penalties are being considered to increase to a $10,000 fine and 18 months in prison.

This bill is heading to Senate for discussion.

Personally, I'm all for a bill like this. Bump keys are way too easy to make, obtain, and use. I'd like to see better locks made, but in the meantime, stopping the possession and use of the bump key is a high priority for anybody concerned about security.

I did a job in Clearwater today where I had to rekey the locks of a house. The bank had just taken possession of the unit after the landlord had defaulted on his payments.

The problem here was that the tenants were paying rent. They paid to the landlord on time, so really they didn't have a reason for being evicted. But the landlord was currently incarcerated and didn't make the payments to the bank. So, since payments to the bank weren't being made, the property was taken over by the bank and the current renters were forced out.

The renters were offered a "Keys For Cash" deal. Sometimes the bank will offer $2,000 to the renters to evict if they hand over the keys and clean out the unit. The renters took this deal. It's not a bad deal at all.

I rekeyed a property in Clearwater a few months ago where the tenants were offered a similar "Keys For Cash" deal. The property was filthy. Clothes piled high, along with garbage and animal feces. It was a disaster inside. Filthy, filthy. One of the top 10 disgusting places I've had to enter and rekey. The tenants didn't take the "Keys For Cash" deal. I don't know why. Maybe it was just too much mess for $2,000. Although, if I was next to homeless, $2,000 to clean out the unit and vacate isn't really a bad deal. It may have taken a week of solid work to clean the trash out of that house, but not a bad deal to do so.

I felt sorry for the people that had to leave today. It really wasn't their fault they had to leave. They made their payments.

Sometimes your landlord can really stink.

In some areas of the country, the police and fire departments open vehicles for free.

This poses several problems.

1. These people usually have never been trained properly and have a much higher chance of damaging your vehicle. Then they leave you with the bill to repair.


2. The time and resources spent on unlocking a vehicle should be spent where the taxpayers want the money to go... community protection and catching bad guys. Not unlocking vehicles for people that don't bother with spare keys.


3. These services are usually done free, which hurts private enterprise that invests real money in tools and advertising.


4. The police generally bypass the licensing requirements, business licences, taxes, paperwork, etc. that puts a legitimate business at a disadvantage.

Sure, there are instances where unlocking a vehicle by the police would be warranted. Such as if a child or pet was trapped inside. Or some other emergency that put somebody's life at risk. But those instances are very, very rare compared to the majority of vehicle unlocking calls.

This article discusses a locksmith that has this problem with his local police department in Marietta, Ohio:

Local businessman in competition with the police

Another story of an online locksmith that's scamming consumers:

Online Locksmith Swindling Consumers

Taken from the article:

"Vern Derung is the owner of Minneapolis Lock and Key and he's had irate customers call him after the non-local company does a job, believing it was actually his company.

The out-of-state locksmith will make you think you're calling a local business, but the number actually rolls to an 800 call center. They send a person to do the job, but Vern says he's had customers tell him the person sometimes doesn't seem to be qualified.

Also, if you call a locksmith when you get locked out of your car, beware. The out-of-state company quotes a low price over the phone, and then charges you more when they get on the scene.

There are ways to protect yourself. Ask the company for a local address. Also, do your research now, and put a legit company in your cell phone, so you'll have it. If you feel you were scammed, report it to the Attorney General's Office."

This is a common scam that takes place in cities all across the USA. Typically the price quoted on the phone will be "$29 plus labor". Labor isn't calculated until the "locksmith" gets on site, but it's quoted as "$15 and up" on the phone. This is very deceptive marketing.

Check the Locksmith Wiki Knowledge Base for more information and stories of this type.

This story is about a locksmith in West Berlin that copied special security keys for the police that opened traffic light boxes, police call stations, and many stations in the city. Keys to a hotel, vehicles, mailboxes, and a television station were also made and given to the police.

File reveals West Berlin locksmith copied police keys for Stasi

What did the locksmith get sentenced to? Eighteen months of probation.