Blog of Sunshine Locksmith Team - Locks & Locksmiths in the News

Dependable Locks Inc. One of Angie's List's Worst Contractors of 2009

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:26:00 -0400

Gilles Deacur

Dependable Locks, Inc., based out of Clearwater, Florida has earned a spot on the Angie's List "Worst Contractors of 2009".

Here's the official article from Angie's List: Worst Contractors of 2009 | Angie's List

Here's a word-for-word copy-and-paste of the article:

Dependable Locks Inc. | Clearwater, Fla.

In November, U.S. Postal Inspection agents arrested Dependable Locks Inc. owners Moshe Aharoni and David Peer on federal fraud and conspiracy charges. Earlier in 2009, the Missouri and Massachusetts attorneys general filed civil suits against the company, alleging it deceives consumers by purchasing multiple phone book listings to appear as different businesses with local addresses. But all calls are routed to call centers, first in New York and later Florida, where the operator offers  a low estimate, usually less than $100.

When dispatched, a locksmith claims other work is necessary, performs the work — often shoddily — and bills the consumer hundreds of dollars, demanding cash, according  to the AG complaints.

An Angie’s List survey of attorneys general, the BBB and our own records nationwide found more than 500 complaints against Dependable Locks  or its alias companies in at least a dozen cities. The federal charges allege that Dependable used a network of at least 100 locksmiths, many Israeli aliens not authorized to work as locksmiths, to perpetrate the scheme across the country.

Laura Gold of West Newton, Mass., hired the company to replace  a dead bolt based on a $70 estimate. But when the locksmith was done, the bill was nearly $600. “It was a red flag, but I felt stuck,” Gold says.  “I don’t know how they can live with themselves.”

The company has an overall D on Angie’s List based on nine reports  in seven cities. At press time, Peer and Aharoni were free on bond and scheduled for an upcoming court hearing. Calls to Dependable Locks  and the men’s attorneys were not returned.

Along with the article, they published this warning:

Be on the lookout for locksmith scams

Dependable Locks Inc., which made our National Worst list this year, allegedly used a variety of aliases to appear as local companies in business directories across the country.

Using information provided by consumer complaints received by Angie’s List, state attorneys general and local BBB chapters, we compiled a list of their aliases to help you steer clear of the company’s deceptive practices.

Legitimate locksmith companies may also use similar names to improve their position in business directories, so use the following tips to help avoid a locksmith scam.

And another helpful article published by Angie's List:

7 tips on how to avoid locksmith scams | Be wary of these aliases

7 tips on how to avoid locksmith scams

Published on January 1, 2010

Legitimate locksmith companies may also use similar names to improve their position in business directories, so use the following tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help avoid a scam:

Be wary of locksmith companies that answer calls with generic phrases like “locksmith services,” rather than a specific name. If a locksmith cannot or will not provide the business’ legal name, find another locksmith.

When the locksmith arrives, ask for identification, including a locksmith license where applicable. Alabama, California, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas all require locksmiths to be licensed.

Get an estimate before any work begins, including emergency service.

Ask about extra charges for things like emergency hours, mileage or service call minimums before you agree to have the work performed.

If the locksmith’s on-site price doesn’t match the phone estimate, don’t allow the work to be performed.

Most legitimate locksmiths will arrive in a clearly marked vehicle.

If you’re locked out, be cautious of companies that recommend or insist on drilling or replacing the lock up front. Most experienced locksmiths have the skills and tools to unlock almost any door.

Be wary of these aliases

Dependable Locks Inc., which made our National Worst list this year, allegedly used a variety of aliases to appear as local companies in business directories across the country.

Using information provided by consumer complaints received by Angie’s List, state attorneys general and local BBB chapters, we compiled this list to help you steer clear of the company’s deceptive practices.

A Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith

A Emergency A Locksmith

A Locksmith Service 24 Hour

A-1 Locksmiths

AAA 24 & 7 Day Locksmith

Always Available Locksmith

Emergency & Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith

Locksmith Service

24 Hour Emergency Locksmith

24 Hour Locksmith

24/7 Locksmith

24hour a Locksmith

A # 1 24 Hour Locksmith

A 24 Hour Locksmith

A Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith

A Emergency A Locksmith

A Emergency Locksmith

A Kansas City # 1 Emergency Locksmith

A Locksmith

A Locksmith 00 24 Hour

A Locksmith 24 Hour Emergency

A Locksmith a 1-24 Hour

A Locksmith Always 24 Hour

A Locksmith Service 24 Hour

A Thirty Five Dollar Locksmith

A1 Locksmith Inc-Superb Solutions

A-1 Locksmiths

A24 Hour a Locksmith

AAA 24 & 7 Day Locksmith

All Around Locks, A United Locksmith

Alocksmith

Always Available Locksmith

Always Locksmith 24 Hr

Always Ready Locksmith

Brooklyn Locksmith

Columbus One Locksmith

Emergency & Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith

Emergencya Locksmith

Express Locks

Dependable Locks Inc.

Dependable Locksmith

Five Star Locksmith

Gold Locksmith

Liberty Locksmith

Locksmith

Locksmith 24 Hour, Inc.

Locksmith Service

Mega Locksmith

Millenium Locksmith

Price Line

Priceline Locksmith, Inc.

Quick Locksmith

S.O.S Locksmith

Speedway Locksmith

Superb Solutions Inc.

Superb Solutions Locksmith

Top Guard Locksmith

USA Silver Locksmith

USA Total Security

Of course, this just represents a small fraction of business names that this company uses. They will saturate the yellow pages and internet listings with hundreds of names in a city. The intent is to increase the probability that you will call them when picking a name at random from the phone book.

I took a look at my local phone book and the vast majority of listings were from locksmith companies that practice similar business practices as Dependable Locks. The listings were of names that were not registered with the state, and there were fake addresses attached to the listings.

Exercise caution when picking a locksmith from the phone book or the internet. The best advise I can give you is to pick one today and put the number in your speed dial before you need a locksmith.

Locksmith Frees Child From Vending Machine

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:06:00 -0400

Gilles Deacur

I came across this article recently:

Two-year-old gets trapped inside lolly machine!

It tells the story of a child in Australia that got trapped inside a "lolly machine". I wasn't sure what a lolly machine was, so I searched and it looks like it's a big machine with prizes, similar to "the claw" that is popular here in North America.

The child couldn't get back out of the machine, so a locksmith needed to be called in to open the machine and free the child.

I can't imagine any kid would do that, but apparently it happens.

A Creative Idea on Stealing Cars

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:57:00 -0400

Gilles Deacur

I came across this article recently:

Cops: Man copies key on test drive, steals truck

It's about a person who took a new vehicle for a test drive and copied the key before returning the car to the dealership. Later on he went back with his key copy and stole the car.

Most vehicles these days have transponders that are designed to prevent automotive theft. A transponder is a tiny device embedded within the head of the key that contains a unique code. There are billions of possible combinations. When the vehicle ignition is turned on, an antenna requests the code from the key. The key responds with the code. If the code matches the code value stored in the vehicle's computer it allows the vehicle to start. If not, it shuts down critical electrical components that allow the vehicle to start.

Vehicle theft has dropped drastically since the inception of transponders. But it just won't prevent a theft where the key is used.

If the vehicle was equipped with a transponder, it may have cost anywhere from $25 to $200 (just a ballpark -some are more, some less) for the spare key to be made and programmed into the vehicle.

Be careful who you lend your keys to. Even if you get them back you can't be certain they weren't copied.

Florida Locksmith Law Still Trying To Build Momentum

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:29:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

Auto Burglary Prevention in Seminole

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:39:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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

Locksmithing and Domestic Disputes

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:17:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

Locksmiths in North Carolina Arrested Without Licenses

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:01:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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

One Reason We Use Spool Pins

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:47:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

Child Locked in Car Almost Two Hours

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:39:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

If You Have Weed, Don't Call the Cops to Unlock Your Car

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:30:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

New Jersey and Bump Keys

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:45:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

Police in Competition With Private Businesses

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:53:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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

This poses several problems.

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.

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.

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

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

Online Locksmith Scamming Consumers

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:53:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

Locksmith in West Berlin Provided Keys to Police

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:33:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

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.

Locksmith Kidnapped in Jamaica

nospam@example.com (Gilles Deacur) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:23:00 -0500

Gilles Deacur

Here's a story of a locksmith that was kidnapped in Jamaica while working:

Locksmith Kidnapped

Text taken from the article:

"Its alleged that on January 13, a female approached the complainant who operates a locksmith business in St Ann and asked him to open the lock for the door of a motorcar.

While he was walking towards the motorcar, a man brandished a gun and ordered him into the vehicle.

The four allegedly blindfolded the man and took him to a location where he was kept for several days.

A demand was then made for ransom."