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I scheduled a change to a few locks on a property that I own. I inquired as to their rates for locks etc. but stated that I just needed a BASIC lock for each door. The house call was quoted for $39 and the basic locks started at $45.
Upon arriving to my property (its literally around the corner), he stated that he had to remove the locks to the first door and at my request just replace the one lock. He finishes the job in 10 minutes and charges me over $500 for just that ONE door! He states that the basic lock was over $150, which of course is a huge difference from starting at $45 and as you can see each thing he did costed more that $100. As an elderly person, I was forced to pay this cost in cash and had no choice but cancel the rest of the job. I felt USA locksmith took advantage of me and I even was fearful that if I complained too much that locksmith would have done something to hurt me.
Upon calling them to ascertain why the difference in price, I was told that they don't quote anything over the phone including their starting rates for locks and house calls... which is funny since the customer service rep who was a man gave out the starting rates etc over the phone the day before.
I would not even let my worst enemy get any work done by them since they are liars and use extremely deceptive tactics to get you to pay house and home for just one lock that would not survive a home invasion for more than 2 seconds.
PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT USING USA LOCKSMITH. I have never dealt with any company as unprofessional and incapable as these folks. BUYER OF SERVICE..BEWARE!
Their quotes over the phone and VERY different from the cost once they arrive. Secondly, they will not tell you upfront how to pay for your service until they are done (e.g., check, credit card, cash). They would not accept a check but failed to tell me until they completed the work. WHATEVER YOU DO...PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THEM A CREDIT CARD. I GAVE THEM CASH BECAUSE I WOULDN'T TRUST THEM AS FAR AS I COULD THROW THEM.
In the end, my lock was installed properly and is giving me problems. HOWEVER, I wouldn't have these folks back if my life depended on it. Unscrupulous group of shisters.
BEWARE!
USA Locksmith is a dangerous and evil group of crooks. They have no conscience and will go from lieing to threatening and terrifying you. They let you know that they can get you any time they want. Keep away from them. Do not go near them. Better to break your window or smash the lock yourself and go on with your lives than to have these people in your circle.
USA Locksmith and their technicians are a terrible company to use. STAY AWAY FROM USA LOCKSMITH They have terrible customer service and their technicians do not issue receipts. What kind of company does work and doesn't have any receipts to issue? A fraudulent one. When I had a customer service issue I was passed around on the phone, laughed at, hung up on and basically treated more rudely than ever. This company is not reputable and should be closed down
I started receiving junk mail for "A124 Hour Glendale Anytime" at my home address. I googled it and found that this company had registered my home address as the business location. I just called and after the completely fake southern accent recording, I spoke with a 24 Hour Locksmith person. He told me that his service is completely mobile and that they don't have a local address. I asked him why they registered my address as their company and he said I would have to take it up with google or 411. He apparently doesn't have a supervisor either. What a bunch of ###s. I don't know how to get Google and the 100 other merchant sites to remove my address. Does anyone have any ideas?
I wish I'd seen this before hiring them. They put a load of locks in our new home and charged a mint. In August. Now, one of their locks is not working. They will charge us another 55 to come out and starting at 25 to fix the faulty lock they installed.
They suck it.
USA Locksmith needs to be shut down. The same rip off scam happened to me yesterday in Fort Lauderdale. I was quoted $39.00 plus $21.00 per cyclinder to change the locks on a residence, so I made an appointment for the next day. The Israeli repair man showed up in a car, with the name "Locksmith" and his number, but no id was to be seen, and he was dressed unprofessionally, and did not show identification. As a single woman by myself, I definitely felt unease. After a ten minute job of him switching out the locks with no name hardware in an inexpensive finish, he was filling out an invoice that I glanced at, it seemed to total about $600. 00! I told him that was not what I was quoted and would not pay that, and asked him to remove the locks. He said he would not and initially offered to make a deal with me, to charge me less, of $300.00 of which I said, absolutely not. The man got out of control and threatened me, and I ran into my car to leave him, and he came after me in my car, kicking my car, and denting it. I immediately called the police, who arrived quickly, and after calling his company, and was quoted the same, arrested him for criminal intent. It was a long day, of many extra hours of a horrible ordeal, but all I can say is I am lucky to be alive. Now I am working with the police to make a difference as this should never happen to any of us. NEVER use this company if you value your life or integrity.
Let me tell you my experience with the most incompetant rip off artists in the nation (USA locksmith). First when I called they said the technician would come and open the door of my service truck in miami. The charge is 39.99 and would add 50 dollars to open the truck. He came opened the door in like 5 mins. Then wrote the bill for 177.00. He had my license and extorted the money because i was stuck in miami about 2 hours away from my house. I had no choice but to go to an atm and get the money. I will never use them again along with all my friends and family. There probably all former crooks trying to hide behind a legal front...I can not even refer to them as people because people have souls and they are souless. This company is the purest of evils and look to suck the money any way they know how.Service sucks cause they DON'T service only take and extort. I have never felt so betrayed, frustrated and ripped off in my life. I know there business or actually its more like a crime syndicate. They practice false advertising and promote extortion like its the norm. These people must be shut down or something bad may happen with a customer who is not so civil. These people are LIARS and THEIVES and God has a plan for people like that. I hope we can spread the word around about how bad there business is.
Jeremy (Ft.lauderdale)
USA Locksmiths.com are horrible they mislead customers in their pricing and I will NEVER use them again or recommend them to ANYONE . I was recently locked out of my house with my 3 year old child and called USA Locksmiths. I spoke with a representative who said a technician will be calling me. I asked the representative approximately how much it was going to cost and he stated $55 for the service call and $49 and up depending on the complexity. Which I agreed to since this was close to the $85 I paid with a another locksmith in 2008. I actually received a text message on my phone stating "A Technician has been assigned to you" The Technician arrived about 50 mins later and took a few minutes to open my SCHLAGE lock with a few pick tolls and an air wedge. The technician sat down on my stairs and handed me a bill which totaled to $216! I asked the Tech how he came up with the number since I was quoted something differently he said Ma'am it is a Friday night and 8:30pm. I stated to the Tech this a bit excessive especially since this is not the first time I've been locked out of my house. The Tech actually had the nerve to say to me: "Ma'am you only have yourself to blame if it wasn't you it would be someone else" I could not believe his comment. On the bottom of the receipt it states "Customer is satisfied and has no complaints, and all charges are undisputable. All work is guaranteed for 90 days. I certainly was not satisfied and called the [protected] and spoke with another representative. She stated "..this was the price and that I am is confident in the Tech's work that he is one of the best they have" I said, "Oh really?" What is your Service Techs name? She didn't answer and ended up transferring to another representative who was not helpful at all and was completely rude to me not allowing me to finsh a sentence and continuingly interupting every other word and basically told me to take it up with the Tech. The Tech said Ma'am you will not find another locksmith for cheaper. I ended up paying the Tech b/c I was tired of arguing, it was getting late and my daughter at was at my neighbor's house and figured if these people are liable to lie to their customers they are capable to break into my house. I actually ended up looking up the locksmith in Frederick, MD I used in 2008 and called him up for quote and told him the type of lock I had and then got even more upset when he said it would have been $85 and then explained to him I was just asking for a quote and told him about the terrible experience I had with USA Locksmiths.com. The locksmith mentioned this company had actually gotten this other lady for $426...just ridiculous. DO NOT EVER CALL USA LOCKSMITHS.COM [protected] you will get robbed!
I was locked out of my house on Monday evening, I called my 411 and asked for a locksmith in my area that would assist me immediately. They gave me a number and directed me asap, the guy told me that they would get to me in 30-45 minutes and that the technician would call me soon. The technician did in fact call me as soon as I hung up the phone with the main office, he told me that he would be to me in 45 minutes, about and hour later the technican came, advised me that he try to pick my lock before anything else. He proceeded to do this and in a matter of like 5 mins i was inside my house. I paid the guy the service charge and another $40 dollars to open the door, and it was absolutely worth it.
I dont understand how so many ppl have had such a bad experience from this company, they were exceptionally good to me and i felt like the service was great
I also found some more useful info about working with these scammers.
What's in a name? Unscrupulous individuals often operate under many business names or aliases. They may answer the phone with a generic phrase like, “locksmith service” or simply “locksmith”. If the call is answered this way, ask, "What is the legal name of your business."
Unclear advertising: Look closely at the ad(s) in the yellow pages. Is the specific name of the business clearly identified? Does the ad look similar to other ads but have a different name? Does it appear that the dealer actually operates under several names?
Unmarked car: Some legitimate locksmiths will work out of a car or unmarked van for quick jobs, but most should arrive in a service vehicle that is clearly marked with the name of the business.
Ask for identification: A legitimate locksmith should ask for identification and some form of proof that you have the authority to allow the unlocking to be done. A legitimate locksmith should also provide you with identification in the form of a business card or invoice with the company name on it. Identifying information should also match the name on the service vehicle.
Get an estimate: Find out what the work will cost before you authorize it. Never sign a blank form authorizing work.
Demand an invoice: Insist on an itemized invoice. You can't dispute a charge without proof of how much you paid and what you paid for.
Just say no: If you are not comfortable with the service provider, you can, and should, refuse to work with the locksmith.
I agree with all of the post listed here and have a few words of advice for anyone that may need a locksmith in the future. I have been learning the locksmith trade for a few months now and have read all the complaints concerning shoddy workmanship that I can find. Please note that USA Locksmiths is NOT the only company that operates like this. There are many operations that say they are local when you call, but come to find out, that call may be taken by someone 1500 miles from you!
First and foremost, (befrore you need a locksmith) look around in your town for a locksmith and check him or her out. Go and actually see the business, look around in there, is it neat and orderly? Is their business in one of these storage units you see everwhere? Ask friends and neighbors to see if they have anyone they have done business with in the past. Check for a business license, even on an emergency call out. If they refuse to bring a copy of it with them, find someone else. Before they come out, ask if they can pick the type of lock you have. Very few locks on the market are completely un-pickable. If you're uneasy about the locksmith that you have called out in any way, call the cops, that in itself should make any unreputable so-called locksmith step back and look at the ethics that are being used on that call.
USA locksmiths are a scam and impossible do deal with. I have been fighting with them for over two months for a refund (like I'll ever see it, but it gives me some satisfaction to tie up there fax and phone lines). We were quoted $200 to fix two locks, the final bill $678. On top of that, the first lock he fixed worked for about 3 weeks and now it is slipping like it did before. the second lock, he didn't have the right piece so he just left it. It only locks from the outside? I've called their cutomer sercvice over 20 times, constantly onhold, there's never a manager, blah, blah, blah. Jsut save yourself the aggravation and call a reputable locksmith.
I actually had a completely different experience than everyone else with USA Locksmiths. Besides the 45 minute wait, I was actually satisfied with my service and the amount charged. I was quoted on the phone $55 for service for a simple house lockout and was charged an extra $40 for the labor. Under a 100 was not bad for me for a mistake that I made in forgetting my keys inside.
Do NOT ever use USA Locksmith! They are a complete scam. We could not get into our apartment because the door was jammed and we were forced to call 411 and call the nearest locksmith. We were quoted $39 but then the guy charged us $500! He was completely incompetent and had no idea what he was doing. He was there for over 3 hours and the job should have been done in less than 20 minutes.
I would NEVER recommend them.
I own a rental condo in Houston, Texas. When a tenant change, I am required to change the key. So, I called USA Locksmith. They quoted $39 for coming and $25 for each re-key. I have 3 doors to re-key. Unfortunately, I was not at the site. USA Locksmith charged me $247. This same job was done in Aug 2005 for $60. I still have the receipt with me from 2005.
I called their customer service to complint. They are arogent.
I called and asked for the owner. But he will never come on the line. Also, I learned this company is a mobile call center. They probably is a middle man and don't have their own employee. Any way I filed a complaint with BBB. I checked BBB record, there are a lot of complainats against this company.
Please spread the word around never to call USA Locksmith. Does any one know a method to spread this news every where. They are not trusthwory company.
Sometime ago, I called for a locksmith in New Jersey operating under Always Availiable 24 Hours. They opened my car door because I locked my keys in the car. The number was local to where I lived, but hired locksmiths from 40 minutes away. It took an hour and a half for the guy to come and he said over the phone I'd have to pay 55 for labor, and he mumbled the rest like something 5 for coming out. Then he came to me and said 55 and 95 for coming out. I told him I wasnt paying 150 so we made a deal at 120. He was intimidating and almost ran off with my keys. Now im a guy too was with a friend we couldnt fight him or attack him since we were infront of a convience store with 10 people watching and cops across the street. The cops couldnt open it because in NJ its illegal to open a car unless a child is trapped or engine is running, which is complete ###! The fee was a little big because the guy traveled from Philadelphia to Gloucester Township NJ which is about 35-40 mins away, and cost this much because it was after hours (around 1:45 he came, we called around 12:15) The smith was doped up, reeked, and didnt want trouble. So for now on I'll do right and try to pick it myself using a coat hanger. ### USA LOCKSMITHS!
Fellow Consumers,
You MUST know that on Saturday, August 16, 2008, a technician from USA LOCKSMITH charged me nearly $600 for what should have been a nominal fee for locksmithing services.
When I arrived at my Atlanta home from the airport on Saturday night, after two weeks in Africa, I had to call a locksmith to grant me re-entry into my apartment due to lost luggage that contained my house keys.
The dispatcher on the phone, RICHARD LAWSON, quoted me a fee of $55 for the call. The technician, named ABRUM, called for directions and confirmed the $55 fee.
When he arrived, ABRUM claimed that he could not pick my simple locks (which both required an identical key) and proceeded to unnecessarily DESTROY both locks. He then claimed that he could not leave them as they were, and quoted me a price of $75 each for replacing both unnecessarily destroyed locks. I was expecting to pay a total of $210 for the job, but when I asked for the total, the locksmith charged me $577.80! He REFUSED to return my credit card, never presented me with a paper bill, and to this day I don't have a single piece of documentation for the charge. My card was charged nearly $600 for the service, and he didn't even give me keys to one of the locks! Both of them were shoddily installed and had to be replaced the following day by a professional locksmith. I had to call the police, and I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Again, the following day, I had to enlist the service of a professional locksmith of over 40 years who knew the SCAM quite well. My locks could have easily been picked, and they were unnecessarily destroyed. I have received the most evasive, unprofessional, and horrendous "customer service" from this company, which even hung up on the officer who needed to speak with them for my police report.
Please warn EVERYONE about this USA LOCKSMITH scam. I found this company on the internet from a kind neighbor's computer, and NO ONE SHOULD CALL THIS COMPANY EVER AGAIN!
Posted by: Dismayed Doctoral Student | August 25, 2008
I just was ripped off by USA Locksmith. USA Locksmith sucks, with a capital S.
Quote over the phone: $55 + Labor (Fair)
When the ### arrived at my door: $180 (Rip-Off)
I had no choice. I had locked myself out of my house, and had no phone or anything on me other than a publix sub. One tiny mistake and $180 down the freaking drain. The guys showed up, two russian guys, and were completely untrustworth and sketchy looking. $180 dollars for drilling in my door knob, which took them 2 minutes to do.
Un-###ing-believable. I could simply not believe this price when the ### opened up his mouth. Thank the heavens that I had a credit card on me, otherwise i'd be screwed.
Don't ever use this rip-off of a company - unless you like spending $180 or more on what looked like to me a simple operation.
24 Hour Locksmith, Www.24xlocksmith.com, locksmith_elite.com, A1 24 Hour Locksmith, They use other peoples business address for there listings, Locksmith call center scam, Bait and switch, SCAM SCAM SCAM, Please use a real local profesional locksmith with a verified address and support your community not a scamming locksmith call center. Boston, San Francisco, Oakland, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Nationwide
24 Hour Locksmith, Www.24xlocksmith.com, Www.locksmith_elite.com, A124 Hour Locksmith,
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
They Dont Give It, They Use Other Businesses Addresses To List On Google.
Boston, San Francisco, Oakland, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, , Nationwide,
U.S.A.
Submitted: 6/28/2008 8:42:30 PM
Modified: 6/29/2008 1:11:30 AM
Prolocksmith
san francisco, California
These guys are a call center scam. They use other profesional businesses addresses for these local listings on Google maps and other listings on the internet. So what does that say about a locksmith company that practices shady dishonest tactics and that comes to your home or business and can make copies of your keys, what happens when they screw something up or they pull the ol bait and sitch scam. Please use a local profesional. They are a call center and they cant even understand english, when they answer the phone all they say is locksmith in a heavy middle eastern accent. The Boss or Manager is always not there, you ask where is the corporate office and good luck with that. They also have the same web landing page going to this site, and if you try to google the website it's not indexed in google. Google does not condone or want any types of businesses like these guys on there site. Google wants a real profesional company on there site wether your googling a locksmith or a dentist. SO PLEASE BEWARE OF THESE GUYS IF YOUR GOOGLING A LOCKSMITH BOSTON, LOCKSMITH SAN JOSE, LOCKSMITH SAN FRANCISCO, LOCKSMITH MIAMI. LOCKSMITH OAKLAND, LOCKSMITH CORAL GABLES, LOCKSMITH PHOENIX, LOCKSMITH LAS VEGAS, LOCKSMITH SAN DIEGO, lOCKSMITH DALLAS, LOCKSMITH BERKLEY AND BAY AREA. Please beware of 24 hour locksmith www.24xlocksmith.com www.locksmith_elite.com
Please ask for there address when calling for you city
Phoenix phone numbers [protected]
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Miami [protected]
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Mike
san francisco, California
U.S.A.
FTC Urges Consumers to Use Caution When Seeking a Locksmith
Posted: 12:59 PM May 30, 2008
Last Updated: 12:59 PM May 30, 2008
Reporter: From the Federal Trade Commission
FTC Urges Consumers to Use Caution When Seeking a Locksmith
If you’ve ever locked yourself out of your car or home, you know what a hassle it can be. Your first thought is to get someone to help. And if that someone ¬– a family member, neighbor or friend – can’t deliver a spare set of keys, your next call probably is to a local locksmith.
What’s the best way to pick a reputable – and local – locksmith? Do the research before you need one – the same way you would a plumber, electrician, or other professional – and then program his or her number into your phone. That’s one of several useful tips from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, in ‘The Keys to Hiring a Reputable Locksmith.’
The FTC says that some locksmiths advertising in your local phone book may not be local at all, and that others may not have professional training. Find out how to hire a legitimate local locksmith at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt032.shtm.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit http://www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP [protected]); TTY: [protected]. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Browse Latest ReportsUse Advanced Search |
Usa Locksmith Charged over $700 for 2 simple locks! Atlanta Georgia
Usa Locksmith
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
usalocksmiths.com
Atlanta, Georgia,
U.S.A.
Submitted: 5/28/2008 3:34:58 PM
Modified: 5/28/2008 3:35:00 PM
Mary
Alpharetta, Georgia
I called to replace a regular lock with a turn-button on the knob. When the locksmiths arrived, they said their names were 'Johnny' and 'Tom', but had no ID or last names.
They advised me to put in a deadbolt, and I asked the charge, but they were evasive. I went ahead with a regular lock and a deadbolt, continuing to ask the cost. I also told them I wanted normal locks that wouldn't add to the cost, and they agreed to that. When the work was done (keying locks also to match present keys--I think the charge for that was huge) they presented me with a bill for $700 and ran my VISA through their system. The invoice had no name or address on it. I wanted them out of the house because there were 3 of them and only my daughter and I at home, so I let them go. When I called the company I got the royal run-around. After 4 different calls, I got no response. Someone named Richard Lawson was supposed to call back, but of course never did.
Mary
Alpharetta, Georgia
U.S.A.
I had an experience with this company at my home in Great Neck, NY. I was locked out of my house. The locksmith came in about two hours which was not the worst of it. He said he could not pick the locks, never mentioned re-keying, a lower price option but instead he had to destroy the lock and install a new one. A single woman living alone I was at his mercy because it was night, winter and I had to get into my house. I had no transportation because my car was parked at work 17 miles away and could not get into it. The bottom line and this is utterly amazing, he gave me bill for $1, 075. I got it "lowered" to $990 because I paid cash. Of course, I had to go to an ATM. All of this for one lock. I feel like a total jerk. I called their 800 number and they claimed to look into the matter but never called me back. I called them back and the person I talked to me starting yelling at me and would not let me speak. I will try to take them to small claims court but of course, I have no clue where this outfit is located, all I have is an 800.
Usa Fastest Locksmith, A Locksmith
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
2526 Mt. Vernin Rd.#304 Dunwoody. Ga 30338
Atlanta, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Georgia, 30338
U.S.A.
Submitted: 12/21/2007 10:38:44 PM
Modified: 12/21/2007 10:39:00 PM
Tonygambino
lighthouse point, Florida
My wife and I needed our locks changed. We called in the yellow pages A Locksmith. come to find out there main office is in Atlanta, we life in Pompano Beach FL area. On the phone they said customer satisfaction is top notch and there prices are very competitive.
A young man showed up at the house ( I wsnt home from work yet) told my wife the price would be around 150-200 bucks. She says 'no problem, let me call another locksmith in the area to make sure this is around the same amount they charge so to protect us from getting ripped off. He became upset and told her 'trust me I'll treat youy right' 'but if you decide not to use me, I'm going to charge you $50 for the show up cost. When my wife called the other locksmith, he told her $150. and my wife relayed the info to the locksmith. He says'no prob Ill do it for the same amount.
Well, when he was done I drove into the situation and my wife was upset, saying to the locksmith 'you told me $150'? He was getting loud and I jumped in and asked what was going on, my wife explained the issue. I then jumped on the phone and called anothere locksmith and again was told $150 by this other company. The bill that 'A locksmith' gave us? $349.17. Of course I went nutts.
I told him Im not signing this and called the police, they came, we told them what happend and after 1 hour the service man told us $200. after this big big issue. We call the credit card company and guess what? they put the $349.17 through. I was pissed. We told the card company what had accured. Then I called 'A Locksmith' and told them what happend they said the locksmith didnt' say anything to them and wouldn't help us. They were nasty on the phone aswell. About 5 min later the same tech that was at our house called and denied the $200 and said he has a signed sig of my wife at the $349.
Heres what they did. before the left they gave me 2 invoices one for 200 and one for 349, the invoice for $200?was invoice # 1040 and the one for $349? was invoice 1041. after the cops left he made a new invoice which was carbon copy (the original one), that was not signed lol (###) and claimed he had a yellow copy of this. So not only did they 'high gross' us, they put a fraudulant unauthorized charge threw, and forged our signature.
I then called the police again, and told them what happend. They were floored that they did this. So they siad they will 100% back the story up with the police report.
For all you reading this we are going to take legal action for the credit card fraud and forger.
DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY! YOUVE BEEN WARNED.
Thank God for this web-site. I will continue to tellyou the out come.
Tony
lighthouse point, Florida
U.S.A.
USA Locksmith's "promise" is "that the job will be done by professional Locksmiths, expediently and at a very competitively affordable low rate."
I'm calling out USA Locksmith on a broken promise on all fronts!
Like a common dumb ###, I locked my keys in my car yesterday morning. AAA gave me the phone numbers of 3 nearby locksmiths and, in a rush, I called the first locksmith on the list and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, that number was for USA Locksmith. A few minutes later the locksmith called me back and said he'd be on the scene in 20 minutes. FORTY-FIVE minutes later, this dude shows up and begins - no lie - prying my door open so he can stick a glorified coat hanger in to jimmy open the door handle - not the method I would expect a "professional" to use.
As I am giving the locksmith my information, he starts being a grade A creep saying I look too young to have a kid (mind your own business!), commenting on my looks (ewww!), and even going so far as looking at my address and saying things about my neighborhood!
The final blow was when he handed me the invoice. I've only locked my keys in my car once before; that locksmith was on the scene in 10 minutes, used a very non-invasive method, and charged me $40 - a price I think fair for such a service. But this creepy dude who essentially pried open my door after 45 minutes of waiting charged me $150! Maybe I am naive to the typical cost of locksmith work, but that seemed exorbitant. Furthermore, he told me that my car insurance would reimburse me, which sounded fishy, and turned out to be false.
No surprise, as a result of the shoddy work of USA Locksmith my drivers side door now has a draft and noise that it did not have before.
Terrible, terrible work by unprofessional locksmiths and at unfair price.
Drift Reality > Boston > USA Locksmith.
This letter describes an extremely negative experience a friend had with USA Locksmith:
On Wednesday February 14, 2007 I locked myself out of my apartment in Boston, MA. After being locked out, I borrowed a friend’s phone and called the USA Locksmith Boston office to help me with my situation. When asked how much it would cost, the representative told me they were unable to provide me with a total estimate, but did state that there would be a minimum fee of $39.95, and that an additional fee for labor would be assessed. I was then told that a representative would be dispatched shortly.
About 40 minutes later, the representative arrived at my apartment. After a brief inspection, the locksmith quoted me a price of $145.00, which would be assessed on top of the $39.95 base fee. As a single female with no personal contacts in the direct area, and with the work day almost completed, I felt compelled to agree to the fee. The locksmith promptly placed some sort of key into the keyhole on the door and tapped on it about ten times or so. After a few moments, he turned the key and opened the door.
Shortly thereafter, the locksmith insisted that I pay him the full amount in cash. As a single female student living alone, I do not make it a practice of carrying very much cash with me at any given time. I asked if I could pay with a credit card or a check and was promptly told that I could only pay with cash. The locksmith asked to see my license. Upon turning my license over, the locksmith told me that he would hold onto it until I paid him the full amount he was owed in cash. I desperately searched for an ATM in the direct vicinity, withdrew the cash and gave it to him.
I am writing this letter of complaint for the following three reasons:
I feel that the refusal on the part of USA Locksmith to provide a cost estimate is a violation of my rights as a consumer. Additionally, the practice of providing a base fee of $39.95 and then an additional fee of $145.00 upon ‘inspection’, to a desperate consumer, is an unethical practice. Particularly when the total time require to open the lock was only a few minutes.
Forcing a consumer to pay $185.00 in cash seems to be an unfair business practice. Particularly because later, when I called USA Locksmith, I was told that it was their policy to allow customers to pay with a credit card.
Finally, The locksmith had absolutely no right to confiscate my drivers license and hold it hostage until I paid him $185 in cash. This was an act of intimidation, as well as illegal. When considering the fact that I am a relatively small single female (5’4), it is clear that this was his way of intimidating me into paying him in cash.
I have suffered loss of money as well as psychological harm as a result of the acts of USA Locksmith and the contractor they dispatched to my residence. I fully intend to file a report with the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the Boston Attorney’s General Office; as well as pursue legal action.
I would hope that others might learn from this experience and avoid doing business with USA Locksmith in the future.