Scam Locksmiths and/or criminals pretending to be locksmiths have put a huge dent in the reputation of the Australian locksmithing industry in the last 5 years. Shady business practices include underquoting, brute force techniques, business impersonation, overcharging and leaving homes/businesses unsecured. We have composed a list of things to look out for when selecting a reputable locksmith.
Some things to look out for:
- Avoid sponsored results/ads, the scammers focus on top of the page sponsored ads
- Avoid companies advertising low callout fees (under $50)
- Avoid companies advertising quick response times (15 mins or under)
- Avoid companies with no physical shop
- Avoid companies with no address listed
- Vague details in About Us section of website
- Call goes through to a call centre not directly to a locksmith
- Unmarked cars/vans
- No master locksmiths logo on website/van/shop
- Quoted price is not adhered to
- No way of reviewing business via Google
- Most locksmiths generally have a defined service area – the scammers advertise that they cover all suburbs of Melbourne – this helps with their advertising and SEO
Tips to avoid being scammed:
- Use a master locksmith via the MLAA website
- Use a locksmith recommended by friends/locals
- Use a locksmith that has a shop
- Use a locksmith that you have used before
- Save your locksmiths number in your phone
- Use a locksmith that has a long history of good work in your suburb/region
- Use a locksmith that has years of good google reviews
- Ask for a recommendation from another local trade (most have a good network in the area)
