When you find yourself in need of a lockout service provider, there is often a sense of urgency caused by not being able to access your home. However, you need to be careful when hiring a locksmith because not all of them are reliable. If you want to avoid becoming the next victim of a locksmith scam, hire Locksmith For NYC today.
10 Things to Look Out for When Hiring a Locksmith
Careful consideration is required when hiring a lockout locksmith service in NYC to avoid scammers. You can take steps to protect yourself by looking at the following 10 things:
1. Lack of Identification
One of the biggest red flags in this industry is a technician who arrives at your doorstep without any form of identification. When doing their work, locksmiths will often have complete access to your home, which means you have to know exactly who you are dealing with.
A legitimate locksmith who has been in this business for a while knows the importance of trust between the client and the technician. As such, they will proudly display their names and will not hesitate to provide proof of identification. Only unreliable locksmiths will try to convince their clients to allow them access to their homes without proof of who they are.
To be on the safe side, make it a policy to never deal with people without IDs, no matter how desperate you may be. You can even avoid such rash decisions by saving the contact information of reliable locksmiths in your phone right now for use when you need help quickly.
2. Locksmiths That Drill Your Lock
One thing that most people do not know is that a reliable locksmith has to be able to open any lock without having to drill it. This is the expertise and skill that sets them apart from everyone else. Anyone can drill a lock, but only a skilled technician can open it with nothing more than a set of locksmith tools.
Why is it important to avoid locksmiths who simply drill holes in your lock? Well, the issue is that many companies may claim to be locksmiths but have no training whatsoever. They just want to take advantage of your situation to make some money.
If they are untrained and unskilled, you can be sure that they will also be unlicensed and unreliable. As such, giving such people access to your home is a risk that you need to avoid at all costs.
3. Toll-free Numbers
Not all toll-free numbers for locksmith service providers are indeed scams. Some legitimate companies provide toll-free services as a way to attract new business. However, whenever you come across a locksmith that uses a toll-free number, you need to be wary.
The main issue here is that scammers often use toll-free numbers to entice customers to hire their services. The thought of saving a few dollars by calling a toll-free number may be enough to make some people overlook important things, such as licensing and identification.
However, it does not cost a fortune to make a quick call to a reliable locksmith even without the use of toll-free numbers. As such, this should not be a major factor in your decision-making when hiring a locksmith.
4. Unlicensed Technicians
Getting licensed as a locksmith in New York requires a lot of work. Only a legitimate company that is dedicated to its profession will be willing to jump through all the hoops to run a legal and fully compliant New York business.
Also, during the licensing process, a lot of safety issues will be looked at, which ultimately makes licensed companies the better option. Having a license is often a good indicator that the locksmith is reliable and easy to trace in case anything goes wrong.
A legitimate locksmith will always have their license and credentials readily available to show the clients when they arrive for the job. If you ask for proof of their license and they start making excuses, this is a red flag that tells you that you are at great risk of being scammed by hiring such individuals.
5. High-pressure Sales Tactics
While it is not always easy to identify scam artists, certain things often give them away. An aggressive approach to acquiring customers using high-pressure tactics is one of the first signs that you may be dealing with a scammer.
A reliable locksmith will often let their knowledge, skills, and track records speak for themselves. There is no need to employ many different marketing strategies and sales tactics to convince a client that they can safely unlock their doors. It is only when they are more concerned with making money than providing reliable services that they will resort to high-pressure sales tactics.
If you ask technical questions about your lockout situation but only get vague answers accompanied by “great offers” and “fantastic deals,” this may not be the right locksmith to do business with.
6. No-name Companies
These days, with so many companies operating solely online, it is difficult to separate scammers from legitimate locksmiths. If you search for “Local locksmith nearby“, you will often get a ton of results.
However, you need to know that a significant number of these “locksmiths” are no-name companies that are looking for ways to scam you of your hard-earned money. Even if you find yourself in an emergency, take the time to research and verify that there is a legitimate locksmith behind the search results.
If a locksmith only claims to be a service provider in your location without giving their name and credentials, you need to be careful. A common red flag is a locksmith who answers the phone without giving the name of their company.
7. Hard-to-believe Low Prices
Everyone loves a bargain, and scammers know this very well. In many cases, you may find yourself locked out of your house at the most inconvenient time, which may force you to consider the cheapest available services in your area.
However, you need to have a good idea of the common price range for the services you want so that you can easily identify scam artists. After all, these companies all have, more or less, the same operating expenses that dictate their pricing. If a locksmith offers you ridiculously low prices compared to the majority of companies around you, ask yourself why this may be the case.
When the prices seem too good to be true, they often are. As such, you need to know the value of the services you require so that you can use that knowledge to guide you to reliable service providers.
8. No Vehicle/Unbranded Vehicle
When you hire a house lockout service provider, they need to be able to come to your residence as quickly as possible to help you out of your emergency situation. As such, any reliable locksmith knows that having a vehicle is one of the most important things in this business.
If you notice that your locksmith does not have a vehicle, or is traveling with an unbranded car, this must serve as a warning to you. A common tactic used by locksmith scammers is to have a very well-made and appealing website to attract customers, but no vehicles and tools to support their services.
As such, you will be surprised to see them showing up in a regular car after hiring what appeared to be a well-run and legitimate locksmith service provider. Reliable locksmiths will display their phone numbers, names, and logos on their service vans so that customers can easily identify, trace, and contact them.
9. Hidden Costs
Is the price that is being advertised by the locksmith the same price you will pay when they have completed the job? With a reliable locksmith, the answer is always yes. However, scammers will offer you a low price so that you can hire them and then charge you a lot more for the actual work.
Always be wary of being charged hidden costs as these may end up making the service a lot more expensive than you were expecting. This is another reason why you need to hire an experienced locksmith who can immediately understand what you need over the phone and give you a fair estimate before driving over.
If there are to be any additional costs, for example, extra traveling expenses because you live far away, these must be clearly communicated to you before you hire the locksmith. This also includes any extra charges for specialized services, emergency services, and the cost of replacement parts.
10. Track Record, Reviews, and Recommendations
These days, with so much information readily available on the internet, it is a simple matter to check the legitimacy and expertise of any reliable company before hiring them. Social media and review platforms such as Better Business Bureau and Business Consumer Alliance can provide invaluable information about the locksmith you want to hire.
Always take time to see what former clients have to say about the company you want to hire. If there are any negative reviews, check to see how the company resolved those issues. What you should be wary of is a company that has no reviews whatsoever. If you cannot get any recommendations or legitimate information about its track record, this is a locksmith company you may want to avoid at all costs.
Locksmith for NYC Is Ready to Help!
With an impressive track record of providing reliable services for New York residents, Locksmith For NYC is the go-to locksmith whenever you find yourself locked out of your home.
Locksmith For NYC covers a wide range of areas in New York, such as the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, and Long Island Nassau County. If you are in and around these areas, you are in luck because one of the top-rated locksmiths in the city is ready to assist.
Its emergency services are available 24 hours a day, so all you need to do is pick up the phone, dial (917) 696-8842, and a qualified locksmith will be on their way to help you. Do not risk falling victim to the many scammers out there. Hire a locksmith you can trust today.
