Locksmith Refuses to Turn Over Master Keying Information to Customer - What to Do?

Example of Master Key Chart

Too many locksmiths are holding their customers hostage, especially when it comes to turning over the master-key codes and bitting lists after the keying job is done. The reason locksmiths will not offer to give you the keying information to the lock job you paid for is because they want to keep you from being able to hire another locksmith. It is really that simple. I know a locksmith who does this:

1. Promptly changes the locks at a business.
2. Gets paid.
3. Stops showing up promptly for the little jobs.
4. Is asked by the customer to turn over the keying information and refuses.
5. Doesn't care because he knows the customer is now at his mercy.

Why should you require the lock keying information before the job is started? Because, if you don't, you will never get it. Without the keying information, you will not be able to expand your master key system. Why? Because, without it, the next locksmith may create a key that will inadvertently unlock a lock it is not supposed to unlock. If this happens, everyone can get sued.

Now, you know the truth and, hopefully, you know to ask for the key bitting charts before the locksmith begins your job. Oh, by the way - your locksmith will say, "The lock chart is intellectual property." Hogwash. The guy has a computer program that does it for him.

What does the bitting chart and codes sheet have on it?

1. Key numbers. In our illustration, the key numbers are 1AA, 2AA, etc.
2. The key cutting information (adjacent to the key number. 6AA - 546767).
3. The bottom and master pin numbers, pins used in the key cylinders.

Without this information in your possession, the locksmith who did the original work can give you shoddy service and raise his prices.

How do you get around not having the master key charts and bitting lists? A good locksmith can take a pair of calipers and measure every cut in every key you have and determine the system. That, however, takes time and money.

The moral of the story? If you are an office manager or a maintenance supervisor, you must ask for and receive from your locksmith, in writing, before the job begins, that he will turn over to you all of the keying information. If he refuses, call HL Flake in Memphis, Tennessee, and ask them to design a key system for you. Then, look for another locksmith.

Locksmith Charges You Can Expect In the Nashville, Tennessee Area

If you hire a locksmith, just make sure you get a 95% commitment on the price before he arrives.  By doing this, you have a verbal agreement in the case the locksmith is a con artist; and, believe me when I say that people are being conned every day in the Nashville area by locksmiths they find on the top of the Google website that are paid advertisers!  As I have said over and over again on my website www.a-bestlocksmith.com, these con artists lure people in with the "Low $14 Service Call! And 15  Minute Response".  Do not believe any of this for a moment; and stay away from the paid locksmith ads on search engines.  Why?  Because these guys are paying to appear as a relevant business listing.  The real locksmiths have to build and maintain good websites in order to EARN the slot on the first page of the natural Google results.

In the Nashville, Tennessee area, you can expect to pay -

1. a $45 to $65 service call for the locksmith to arrive.  If he doesn't have service call as an itemized charge, he has it hidden in with the flat-rate he quoted you.
2. $15 to $20 for a basic lock cylinder re-key.
3. $60 to $85 for a basic residential deadbolt installation where carpentry is needed.
4. $45 to $75 for a car opening.

In the event you are surprised by the bill after you have already agreed to a price, refuse to pay and threaten the locksmith by telling him that you are going to call the Tennessee Locksmith Licensing Bureau.  After making the threat, offer him the original, agreed upon price.

I hope this has been helpful!  If you would like me to bid your commercial or nice residential lock project, call David at 615-308-6794.  I am licensed by the state.  TN LS LIC #68.

Locksmith Scams Abound On Pay-Per-Click Ads On Search Engines

If you are clicking on the paid advertisements for "locksmiths" on the major search listings, there is a better than average chance you are going to get burned.  Yes, when you click these "top-of-the-page" ads and go to the websites, they sure look professional.  Here are some things you should consider before calling them.

1.  Notice that these locksmiths are using 1-800 numbers.  That will tell you that this number is being provided for everybody in the United States as a toll-free number.  Do not suppose for a minute that there are any locksmith organizations large enough to have employees in every state and city in the U.S.  Although theses companies claim they do, be aware that these companies hire anybody with just a short phone call.  They do not test or train these "technicians". 

2.  Notice that there are no addresses on the website.  That's right!  Why? Because these companies do not want to be located.  One client of mine in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, called one of these companies a while back.  My client was charged $385 for an $85 job.  Once the bill was paid, the technician disappeared.  After my client realized she had been scammed, she tried to get her money back.  Without an address, how could she collect?  The company always gets half of the money collected by the "technician".  So, the "technician" jacks up the price of the job as high as he can; and he is usually an incompetent locksmith who may not even have a machine to make duplicate keys.

3.  Notice that there is a service call price of $14, $15, or $19.  That should be a red flag.  There are no service calls that low.  You can expect to pay a $45 to $75 service call in the Murfreesboro and Nashville, Tennessee areas.  Sometimes, however, A-Best Locksmith does not charge a service call.  This applies, however, when I am at the site and the customer is having volume work done.

4.  Notice also the general prices that are given for various services.  At first glance, you will think that they are reasonable; and some of the prices are!  However, they never charge that rate.  It always ends up being three or four times the amount; and the "technician" surprises you with a huge bill, tells you pay immediately, or be sued tomorrow.  At one childcare center on West Northfield Boulevard, the scam "technician" removed the locks from the doors at closing time because the manager did not have the cash in order to pay the bill.

5.  You should also know that there is a "technician" running around Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Nashville, Tennessee who cannot do the work that is required by a real locksmith.  When he gets a call from the scam 1-800 center, he shows up, tells the customer he can't do it, and then asks for a $30 service call because he showed up.  Never, for any reason, pay a locksmith for not doing his job!  Also, before hiring a locksmith, you should always get the charges upfront and make sure they are solid!  A good locksmith knows what to charge for most jobs before he ever shows up.

6.  You will note that some of these paid search engine advertisements do not have a Tennessee Locksmith License number.  Although I think that you, as a consumer, should check out everybody who works for you, and that the locksmith license program is nonsense, you should ask for a locksmith license I.D. card.  If the locksmith doesn't have one when he arrives, ask him to leave.

Another reason you should never look for a locksmith on the paid advertising sections on the major search engines is because your local locksmiths are never in the top premium spots!  Google, Yahoo, and other search engines pride themselves in bringing to you RELEVANT search engine results based upon you inquiry.  Paid Internet ads circumvent the logarithms that ensure relevancy!  Basically, a locksmith goes to Google and says, "Well, I am not based in this geographical area, and my site is note relevant nor helpful. In fact, if left up to relevant search results, I will never be seen.  So, how about if Pay you $20 for every click?"  And the search engines agree to take the scam locksmith's money.  If you pay the search engine companies enough, they will sell anything to anybody.

Just remember to shop locally.  When I say "locally" I mean you should hire somebody who owns their own lock company within a 65 mile radius of where you live or run your business.  Also, if you are in doubt, call the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and ask them about the locksmith you are using.  And, finally, never, never ask a locksmith to show up without getting some idea of what the ultimate bill will be; and never pay a dime if the bill he presents to you is not the same bill you agreed to before the work was begun.  If the locksmith threatens to sue you, call his bluff and refuse.  If he threatens to remove your locks, call the police immediately.

Just remember that there are thousands of people in the United States right now who would have loved to read this blog before they called a locksmith.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Locksmith Cashes Check Not Belonging To Him!

Last week, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a locksmith found in the phone book inadvertently recieved a check made out to another locksmith in the amount of $1350.00.  Instead of returning the check to the issuer, the locksmith cashed it.  This same individual has been accused of making false calls to emergency roadside assistant agencies in order to collect service calls for arriving at locations where the "customer" was no longer present.

Do your research and ask for references before hiring a locksmith in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  I will assure you that there are more scam artists operating in this area than are real, bonafide locksmiths.  Do not hire a locksmith from the internet search engines who has paid for a "click" ad.  Paid advertisers with the big search engines pay to be seen.  The real locksmiths ads can be seen because they are relevant in the search inquiries.

A-Best Locksmith does work for General Mills, Pillsbury, Yoplait, Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, MPD, Arby's in two states, Discount Tire Middle Tennessee, and Titlemax in Middle Tennessee, Stones River Mall, The Salvation Army, and others.

Masterkeying Problems - Your Incompetent Locksmith Has Filed Down Your Cylinders

Chances are there are some locksmiths in your area that are highly incompetent. They drive the vehicle, wear the shirt, and have the advertisements; but they have no real clue about quality work. In Nashville, TN, even some of the oldest locksmiths are destroying customers locks so that they cannot be master-keyed securely. You would be surprised by who it is, because they are highly regarded in the community. When an incompetent locksmith re-keys your locks, he removes them, puts the wrong sized tumblers in the chambers, and grinds the lock cylinder down on a grinder or he hand files them. When he does this, he is removing from .020 to ,045 of an inch of valuable metal from your lock. He is ruining your lock!

Now, let us say that you call another locksmith in to master-key the locks. When a lock is master-keyed, a master key works the lock and an individual, different key works the lock as well. In fact, a master key system can have more levels than just two. But the problem comes when your incompetent locksmith files the cylinder plugs down to fit his wrong tumblers. Why? Because there are master pins that start at .024 of an inch. If he files the plug down to .045 of an inch, you can see that a .024 inch master pin will float in empty space and jam your lock.

There is a way around this problem, however. Today I did a small master key job where a locally famous, incompetent locksmith preceded me. The plugs were all filed down and some of the chambers were mauled. Because the master key system was small, I designed it to take larger master pins. Instead of making small two-step increments in the system, like a #2 cut in the master and a #4 cut in the change key, I went to a #5 in the change key. The difference between the #4 and #5 was sufficient enough to compensate for the filed cylinder plugs. So, the difference between a #2 master key cut and #5 change key cut is 3. A 3 master pin is thicker than a number 2 master pin.

I will tell you just how prevalent lock cylinder filing is. A number of years ago there was locksmith school here in the southern part of the country. The owner told me to insert the pins, grind the cylinder, and that would take care of the job; and this guy was grinding away a fourth of the cylinder. His excuse was that the lock was not pick-proof anyway. What he did was to make the lock no longer fit to be keyed. He also made the lock easier to pick and made the chances greater that a wrong key could "jiggle" the lock open.

So, if you want your locks master-keyed, you will need to know if your locksmith has filed the cylinders down. If he has, and he won't tell you they have been filed, he will have to sell you replacement cylinders. The cost of your job will be double.

If you suspect that your locksmith is filing your cylinders, have another locksmith install a new cylinder and call the suspect locksmith to key it. Have the first locksmith inspect the work. If the lock has been filed, fire the old locksmith.

Locksmiths With Blank Invoices Should Be Turned Away - The Scams Abound!

There is a locksmith running around the Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Nashville area who is reached through a 1-800 number. Of course, not every locksmith who uses a 1-800 number is a scam business either. But this locksmith will show up, probably be unable to fix your most basic commercial job, and, if he is unable to do the job, will charge you a service call. He will hand you a blank receipt without a name, address or Tennessee locksmith license number, and demand cash. This locksmith is sent to you when you use the Internet PAID ADVERTISING SITES. When you call a 1-800 number from the premium website search result listings, you usually get the scam artists who work out of another state. Here are some things you should know.

1. Never hire a locksmith who has a 1-800 number unless you know he is local and you have checked his references.
2. When any locksmith shows up at your place of business, ask for 1) his Tennessee locksmith license ID card and 2) his invoice booklet. If he has no license and his invoices are blank, ask him to leave because he is working under the radar and cannot be trusted to do the work correctly and charge you fairly.
3. If you get one of these locksmiths, do not pay him a service call, as he will not be able to collect since he is operating outside of Tennessee law. Get his vehicle type and write down his vehicle license plate number and call the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
4. Always ask a price before you ask the locksmith to make a service call. If the locksmith call center tells you that the service call will be $14, $15, $19 or some other low amount, and if the person refuses to give you a final price, cancel the call.
5. The locksmiths who are dispatched are dispatched from businesses you will not be able to find, hence the blank receipts. These locksmiths also get half of the money for the job they do, so of course the price is going to be jacked up. I have seen an $85 job go for $375; and the invoice was blank! The customer could not lodge a complaint nor get a refund.
6. If you do get stuck with one of these hucksters, and he is doing your work, rest assured that he will come to you when he is done and give you a bill three to four times what you thought it was going to be. In the event you do not pay the up-charge, the locksmith will remove your locks at closing time and threaten you with legal action. Do not pay the bill and do not sign it. Get his tag numbers and call the police, because the locksmith will remove your locks and leave you vulnerable!
7. For more information, go to www.a-bestlocksmith.com or www.commerciallockservice.com.

A Murfreesboro Locksmith Does Shoddy Work and Lies to Customer

I received a call from a new client on St. Andrews Street in Murfreesboro, TN. The manager called me over to look at her Adams-Rite dead latch and exit paddle. There was no faceplate on the Adams-Rite lock mechanism. The manager asked the locksmith about the absence of the cover plate and he replied that the lock does not come with a cover plate. He could not fool the manager, however. I was called to tighten the lock, which was falling out of the door, and install a make-shift cover plate, which looked so good the manager decided to just keep the plate and not have me come by and install the "correct" plate. When it comes to glass door dead latches, the face plate plays a vital role in keeping the lock centered. Without it, the lock moves in the door and the activation plug of the paddle falls out, disabling egress.

Remember: if the completed lock service does not look right, then it isn't right. This is especially true when it comes to glass storefront doors. Demand that your job be done properly. If it isn't done properly, refuse to pay.

What Nashville, TN Locksmiths Pay For Commerical Locks

In this day and age, you need to know what a locksmith pays for the goods he is selling you. You can usually find this online, but I can make it simple for you.  With this information, you can make reasonable counter-offers. Remember, there is more to overhead than the wholesale price of a lock.  However, some locksmiths are selling glass door cylinders for $65 each and key copies for $4.00.

Commercial Locks

1. Round glass door cylinders and thumb-turns, generic - $5 to $8 each
2. Adams-Rite style deadbolts for glass doors, generic - $13
3. Grade 1 door closers, surface mounted - $49
4. Von Duprin 22 Series panic bars without trim - $208
4a. Von Duprin 22 Series outside trim - $108
5. Door levers, Medium duty, generic - $30 to $60
6. Door levers, Heavy Duty - $85 to $250 (Generic - Name brand)
7. Bathroom levers, medium duty, generic - $40 to $65
8. Key blanks, generic - .25 to .45 for common types
9. Best style cores - $8 to $15
10. Office door knobs, generic - $18.00 to $25
11. Detex 230 Model - $150
12. Detex EAX-500 - $95
13. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Assa High Security Clinders - $45 to $65
14. Exit Security Bar - $60
15. Von Duprin 99 Series Exit Bar - $550
16. Von Duprin Outside Trim - $220
17. Von Duprin Guard-X Alarm Lock - $250
18. Continuous Hinges - $95
19. Kaba Mas Auditcon 2 Series Safe Lock 252 - $200
20. Alarm Lock T2 Trilogy - $450
21. Alarm Lock Narrow Style Access Lock - $400