Quick answer: Red flags include a phone greeting without a company name, a very low advertised price, no ID or marked vehicle, and pressure to drill or replace a lock. Get a total price in writing or by text before the locksmith is dispatched.
Red flags
- The phone is answered with a generic greeting such as "locksmith service" instead of a company name
- The business claims to be local but cannot give a real location or name
- An advertised price like "$19 service call" that grows once they arrive
- The locksmith arrives in an unmarked vehicle or has no ID
- They insist on drilling or replacing the lock without trying other methods
- They will not give a total price before starting
- They do not ask for ID or proof you live there or own the car
Check before you call
- Search the business name and read recent reviews
- Check that the website and listing show the same name and phone number
- Ask for the company name and the total price, and ask them to text it
What a good locksmith does
Answers with the company name, quotes the total before dispatch, arrives in a marked vehicle, asks for ID, tries non-destructive methods first, and gives you a receipt. That is how we work.
If you were overcharged
- Keep your receipt, texts and the company name and number
- Contact your credit card company about disputing the charge
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Arizona Attorney General's consumer protection office
