How to tell if you are speaking to a locksmith and not a scammer posing as one.
When you call the company, You should ask what company it is you called. A legit locksmith will have no problem answering this.
A scammer will usually use a dispatch company or just answer ‘locksmith’ as they usually operate under several names.
Ask to see their website, check their reviews online. Make sure that you see legit people commenting on the service. It’s always nice to see a name on the reviews and to ask for that person (although it’s not always possible)
A locksmith will be able to tell you what the service will cost, the service call will be generally anywhere from $60-$120 depending on your location and market. Just because a locksmith charges $100 for a service call doesn’t mean they are more expensive than the $15 service call. The locksmiths that know what they are worth will charge this as a minimum and will include much of the work in this initial cost.
Consider this.
Scenario 1.
Sally has locked her keys inside her home and calls a locksmith and gets a quote for $15. The locksmith arrives and studies the lock. The locksmith says I must drill the lock and replace it. The result is a $400 bill.
Scenario 2.
Sally has locked her keys inside her home and calls a locksmith and get a quote for $100. The locksmith arrives and studies the lock. The locksmith says, give me a moment. Pulls out some picks and opens the lock in seconds. Allowing Sally to retrieve her keys.
Scenario 1 sounds like a good deal at first, but here’s the thing. The locksmith has a lot of overhead. Gas, Advertising, Tools, Education, Licensing (if applicable), opening locks for $15 is not feasible in today’s economy. The locksmith in Scenario 1 has lied to you from the get-go. They know they will be charging more, How much more depends on what they think they can milk from you. Not a good way to start a business relationship. They usually use inferior products and charge premium prices for them. Don’t get caught using these locksmiths, choose a locksmith vetted by Hey-Locksmith
Scenario 2 is the safe bet. The locksmith has studied and bought all the proper tools. The locksmith doesn’t like to surprise customers and also knows what they are getting into. So that if they open the lock in 30 seconds, that is what you are paying them for. That is what they are encouraged to do, they should be paid well for this. When a locksmith tells you your bill is $100 it’s no surprise when that’s what your bill is. Mind you some quotes should be done on-site or could be a range. For example, if you want a safe opened, it could be a simple service call to change the batteries, or could be a few thousand if they have to drill a high security safe. A good Scenario 2 locksmith will be able to tell you these ranges (usually just requiring a few pictures)