USA Locksmith USA Locksmith ripped me off four times the price they gave on the phone... Horrible customer service... Liars Atlanta, Other Cities Georgia, other states
USA Locksmith
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
www.usalocksmith.com
Atlanta, Georgia,
U.S.A.
Submitted: 6/18/2008 5:21:29 PM
Modified: 6/18/2008 5:22:00 PM
Jasminev
Atlanta, Georgia
USA Locksmiths fooled me and never told me that they will charge me four times the price they gave me on the phone. $207 is not the amount you pay for a simple locksmith to unlock your car. It was a complete ripoff at the time I desperately needed someone to fairly help me not add to my problems. I wish they go to hell for ripping off a student like that who lives on every single penny.
They also have a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE customer service. Incredibly rude people.
After a thousand calls and wasting thousands of minutes waiting for ANYONE to speak to me(they passed the calls to each other all the time), they agreed(with maximum rudeness) to give only $40 sent back to my account.
and guess what? THEY NEVER DID !
LIARS LIARS!
It is so unfair to rip off someone in desperate need like that.
I hope you will never experience 'business' with them because you will terribly regret it.
Jasminev
Atlanta, Georgia
U.S.A.
A1 24 Hour Emergency Locksmith
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
6226 Third St.
San Francisco, California, 94124
U.S.A.
Submitted: 7/29/2008 12:40:01 PM
Modified: 7/29/2008 12:40:00 PM
Karen
San Francisco, California
These people quoted me a price of $39 and a $15 fee to make a key. I was locked out of a home.
They arrived over one hour later (promising a 20 minute arrival time). They could not pick the locks.
They drilled holes in the doors to get in the house.
They never gave me a quote for anything before they did the work. When they were done they handed me a $610 bill for drilling through 5 doors.
I unfortunately handed them my credit card but they were only able to get $500 off of it. I have been calling them for their location and they will not give it to me. They do not understand English well and everytime I call they hang up on me or tell me they have a supervisor coming to help me; and no one ever comes.
If there is anyone out there with a way for me to remedy this I welcome suggestions.
Karen
San Francisco, California
U.S.A.
HOW TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST "PHONY LOCKSMITHS"
Below are links to various news outlets, consumer protection agencies and state Attorney General offices addressing the issue of "phony locksmiths". The story is familiar in many states: an out-of-state company hires a number of unscrupulous individuals in the area to sub-contract its work using assumed business names, fake addresses and phone numbers. Many times consumers have been over-sold, under serviced, or just plain lied to!
The Illinois Attorney General filed criminal charges against a New York locksmith operation for setting up phony storefronts with unlicensed individuals practicing locksmithing that lead consumers to believe they were dealing with local companies. The action was successful, and the company was ordered to pay thousands in restitution, to cease operations and to no longer do business in the state under a new name or any of the 25 different names the company had been using in local telephone directories!
ALOA encourages locksmiths who are facing this same situation to go to their state's Attorney General who can take the appropriate legal action against these fraudulent companies. ALOA recently sent a letter to all Attorneys General urging them to pursue this matter in their state. For a copy of that letter, Click Here . To contact your state's Attorney General, go to Click Here .
ALOA is also empowering you to take immediate action when these fraudulent operations show up in your city. Click Here for a Press Release that you may send to your local print and broadcast news media outlets. Make sure you put in the date and the name of your city in the highlighted areas.
For further assistance, contact ALOA Legislative Manager, Tim McMullen at [protected] x300 or tim@aloa.org
Click here to view the Phony Locksmith Press Room with various reports of Phony Locksmiths
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Home News Center BBB Warns Consumers of Nationwide Locksmith Swindle :You may have been a victim and not even know it
7/10/2007
Arlington, VA – July 10, 2007 –Better Business Bureau (BBB) today is warning consumers to beware of untrustworthy locksmith companies that are ripping off consumers across the country.
Victim complaints to BBB reveal that several locksmith companies, all using similar methods, are significantly overcharging consumers, charging consumers for unnecessary services, using intimidation tactics, and failing to give refunds or respond to consumer complaints.
“Ironically, these companies operate under names like ‘Dependable Locksmith’ but in reality they exploit the vulnerable situation of consumers who are locked out of their house or car, ” said Steve Cox BBB spokesperson. “We’ve found that some locksmiths have made taking advantage of consumers’ misfortune part of their business model.”
Complaints about locksmith services to the 114 BBBs serving the U.S. increased almost 75 percent from 2005 to 2006, and have continued to come in steadily during the first half of this year.
BBB has identified Dependable Locksmith – which operates under more than a dozen different names – as a particularly disreputable locksmith. This company poses as a local locksmith in cities across the country and advertises in the yellow pages using local phone numbers and fake local addresses. A consumer might think they’re dealing with a local locksmith but their phone call is actually connected to a call center located in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Consumers are quoted a reasonable price over the phone but when the locksmith arrives – typically in an unmarked vehicle – he demands significantly more money than originally quoted, often only accepting cash.
A complaint from Cleveland, OH, where Dependable Locksmith was operating under the name “Superb Solutions, ” alleges the company quoted fees of $39 and $84 for separate jobs, but the bill ended up at $471, which included add-on fees such as a $65 breaking in fee and a $58 fee to uninstall old locks.
Another complainant reported that the locksmith sent to let her into her car demanded she pay twice the price quoted over the phone. The locksmith offered to drive her to an ATM to get cash – feeling unsafe the victim refused. The victim was ultimately forced to write a check made out personally to the locksmith as he would not let her into her car until she did so. She cancelled payment on the check the next morning, but eventually filed a police report after the locksmith harassed her with continuous phone calls about payment.
BBB has also heard many complaints from victims who say they were charged for unnecessary services. For example, complainants suspect locksmiths sent over by Dependable Locksmiths of pretending they couldn’t simply pick the lock so that they could charge more and install all new locks in homes.
Some of Dependable Locksmith’s aliases include, Superb Solutions, Locksmith 24 Hour, Inc., USA Total Security, Priceline Locksmith, and S.O.S. Locksmith.
Another locksmith contractor fleecing consumers is Liberty Locksmith. Similar to Dependable Locksmith, it poses as a local locksmith and runs full-page yellow pages ads with multiple phone and address listings. The phone numbers appear to be local, but connect to a national call center in New York, while the addresses end up belonging to other established businesses in the local area, or are simply non-existent.
Liberty Locksmith had been a BBB member in Tulsa, OK, but during normal BBB member validation processes, it was discovered that the addresses provided by the company were false. In June 2007, BBB terminated the membership of Liberty Locksmith for providing false information in its membership application and providing misleading advertisements to the public.
Like Dependable, Liberty Locksmith uses common cons such as quoting one price over the phone, but then charging significantly more on site.
“These companies are very good at posing as trustworthy locksmiths, ” said Mr. Cox. “Before you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being locked out of your car or house, do your research and find a truly dependable locksmith in your area. Ask around and always check with your BBB first to find reputable businesses.”
Consumers who feel that they’ve been taken advantage of by Dependable Locksmith, Liberty Locksmith or others, can go to www.bbb.org to file a complaint with their local BBB.
Reporters and journalists may contact Alison Preszler, CBBB’s Media Relations Specialist or call [protected] to request an interview or additional information.
About BBB
BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 126 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring nearly 4 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.
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Be Aware: Locksmith Scam
May. 30th, 2017 | 02:43 pm
The following is from a co-worker would like to help others avoid being scammed:
I wanted to make you all aware of a locksmith scam that has swept/is sweeping the country, and that I happened to get scammed by when I was locked out of my apartment recently. The scam is run by a company called USA Locksmith, which has many different aliases.
They list fake local addresses in the phone book all around the country that are all connected to a phone bank in Hackensack, NJ (their "local addresses" in Hoboken are actually a Chinese food restaurant and City Hall). The phone bank then routes the calls out to often-unregistered, untrained "locksmiths" that operate out of unmarked cars in communities all around the U.S. They will give you a low estimate before they come out, ask for your credit card information, and then when they get there they virtually immediately tell you that your lock can't be picked, then will say they have to drill through your existing lock in order to get you in. This is often unnecessary (it should only be a last resort), and requires you to buy highly marked up locks from them that are of shoddy quality (for example, a $20 lock for $150). In several cases (including mine), they said there was a woman with a baby locked in the car and they had to rush, so they rush the job before they give you a final estimate and then hand you a bill that is much higher than the initial estimate (in my case, close to 600.00, in some cases over 1500 dollars).
In most cases, people get the numbers for these fake local businesses from 411, in other cases, people call one of hundreds of numbers in their communities that get routed back to the same call center in Hackensack (many of the "businesses" in the phone book are not listed as USA Locksmith in the phone book and have names like "Anytime Anywhere Locksmith" or "Emergency Locksmith", but the calls are routed to USA Locksmith's Hackensack location.
The company has over fifty complaints against them with the Better Business Bureau, they have had their BBB affiliation revoked in several areas, multiple state attorney generals have successfully prosecuted them, and they are being investigated by numerous consumer protection agencies for fraud. They are known as the "locksmith mafia" because there are indications they are connected to organized crime networks, and because they use threats to intimidate both their competition and unhappy clients. However, they have proven very difficult to shut down completely.
Warning signs that you may be dealing with a local "arm" of this company:
*They answer the phone "locksmith" instead of the particular business name that you think you called *They are evasive when you ask for a physical address or the physical address they give you belongs to another business or doesn't exist *They are evasive when you ask for a full estimate prior to the work *They show up in an unmarked vehicle *The locksmith cannot show you his/her registration number *They say almost immediately that they'll have to drill your lock.
*They do not ask for personal identification to make sure that you have authority to have the particular lock opened (i.e. that you live at your house).
Please protect yourself and your pockets. This is a serious crime ring that has affected thousands of people, including acts of physical intimidation. They are very savvy at the kind of fraud they engage in, and it is best to just avoid getting involved with them in the first place.
USA Locksmith is either simply another arm of one of these companies or a company operating under the same model. You can also google "USA Locksmith scam" and see numerous personal stories of people that were affected by this scam.
Dependable Locks, Inc
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
295 W. 231st Street
Bronx, New York, 10463
U.S.A.
Submitted: 8/18/2008 8:34:25 PM
Modified: 8/18/2008 8:34:00 PM
Anonymous
Eagan, Minnesota
We lost our house keys around the same time we sold our home. I immediately opened up the phone book and saw the add of this particular company. Since they garaunteed the lowest price, i called. A young man pulled up in our driveway at the time i set the appointment. I asked him how much this will cost. He said $275 dollars. I said, 'What! For two measely locks?' He then said, 'Ok - $250'. Since I needed to get the new keys into the hands of the owner, I said ok. He said each lock is 80 dollars for the cheapest, so i took the cheapest locks. I asked him who i needed to make the check out to and he said to himself. He will cash the check and send the money to his company. This all seemed to fishy for me. I called first thing in the morning to report my situation and haven't heard back...Here's a breakdown of my bill. Service call - $40, change in new lock $160, Re-Key Fee $10.00 and labor - $40...
Anonymous
Eagan, Minnesota
U.S.A.
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
Locksmiths using phony local addresses to get more business
Reported by: Joe Ducey
Email: jducey@abc15.com
Last Update: 9/19 11:21 am
Click the play button on the video window to the right to view the story
It happened in a second. Lisa Mendez walked outside to turn off the water. The door swung shut and she was locked out. In a panic, she grabbed a neighbor's phone book and picked a nearby locksmith.
He told her $55 plus labor but that's not what she got.
"It took him two minutes to pick the lock. He said that will be $289 credit or $275 cash. I said, "Are you kidding me?"
For Amy, another Valley resident, it was a car, locked at a gas pump.
Different locksmith, but Amy has the same story.
"It took about 30 seconds. He gave me a bill for $225 dollars."
Lisa says she felt intimidated.
"No one was around, he was in my house, the other kid was standing outside. So I just paid him."
Both women drove to the supposed "nearby" locksmiths to protest. But neither could find them. That's because the locksmith location didn't exist.
The ABC 15 Investigators drove with Mesa locksmith Robert Vallelunga. We checked out a list of locksmith addresses he found close to his business. They were taken from phone books and the internet.
We couldn't find one that was accurate. Vallelunga is a member of Associated Locksmiths of America and owns Acme Locksmith in Mesa.
He says locksmiths using phony addresses are rampant in the Valley. They are out-of-state businesses, hiring local mostly untrained people who oversell or even damage.
"We get two or three cases daily. They are people wanting us to come out and fix a problem, " Vallelunga says.
A Google search of locksmiths showed 50 locations. Vallelunga says he found 48 of them are phony.
"They're overpopulating the internet sites so no matter what you search for and what address you put in, they're always going to come up, " Vallelunga explains.
It's been a concern nationwide. The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers. The Illinois Attorney General sued a New York locksmith over phony addresses.
Now that state, and 8 others require locksmith licenses. It should give authorities more teeth to go after the businesses. So far, Arizona has no license requirement.
Ironically, while Amy was talking about her locksmith experience with me, she locked herself out of her car again.
We took the opportunity to call the same locksmith number Amy had called and watched from afar as two men arrived in an unmarked car.
It was the same company and phone number, but Amy said they were not the workers who came out earlier. And this time, they charged just $90, a far cry from the $225 dollars last time.
I approached the workers and asked who they work for. They said the company is out of Colorado and they hire people locally. The men said they were independent contractors.
We called the company and they hung up.
Vallelunga asks "do you really want to trust someone who tricks you into believing they're the corner locksmith when in fact they're not."
Your best bet is to research and get the best locksmith before an emergency. Ask if they're a member of the Associated Locksmiths of America, look for complaints online and then check out their physical address to make sure they have one.
You can learn more at the Associated Locksmiths of America website.
7 On Your SideCracking down on unlicensed locksmithsFriday, October 03, 2008 | 1:34 PMStory Media Top Stories
7 On Your SideOAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- The Governor signed a bill cracking down on unlicensed locksmiths gouging vulnerable residents locked out of their home or cars. Supporters of the measure credit a 7 On Your Side investigation with inspiring the bill.
Most of us would feel threatened if our house or car keys got into the wrong hands. That's what happens every time someone hires an unlicensed locksmith.
Christopher Chew knows how vulnerable you can become when you get locked out of your house.
Story continues belowAdvertisement
The Emeryville man claims 24 Hour Locksmith told him the bill would be no more than $200. the final bill was $613.
The locksmith demanded immediate payment in cash and drove him to an ATM to withdraw it.
"It was a very implied threat. He said I know exactly where you live. My bosses are going to get their money some way or another. We obviously have access to your place, " said Chew.
We attempted to reach 24 hour locksmith for comment, but their phone is disconnected.
This summer, the state legislature passed AB 2592 by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma with the support of the California Locksmith Association.
"The consumer in the new law will have the ability for restitution upon prosecution. They can actually get their money back from the individual that did the wrong against them, " said John Brueggeman, President of the California Locksmith Association.
The bill increases the fine for unlicensed locksmith activity tenfold to $10, 000.
"This is a public safety issue, it is also a huge underground economy issue and it's also helping the legitimate small businesses, " said Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D) San Francisco.
7 On Your Side researchers last year found only two percent of the 2, 300 locksmiths listed in www.yellowpages.com had legitimate licenses.
Our investigation also found that at least 75 percent of those locksmiths don't have permits to collect taxes. Those uncollected taxes are believed to be costing the state untold millions every year.
But Ma says this is primarily a safety issue.
"Nobody knows who these people are and what they're doing with copies of your keys to your home and car. I believe if the governor signs a bill, people will feel more secure about calling a locksmith, " said Ma.
Co-owner Randall Reed from Reed Brothers Security is so frustrated by unlicensed activity, he conducted his own sting. Reed lured a suspected unlicensed locksmith to his shop, and held him until police arrived.
Oakland Police cited him for unlicensed business activity and driving with a suspended license.
"The cops, they cuffed him, put him back of the car. They verified he didn't have a license, " said Reed.
Most locksmiths agree the key is enforcement.
"Some of the people like the DA who would say they can't spend the money on it. Now if they raise the fine to $10, 000 per event, maybe they'll be able to go after them, " said Steve Hess from All City Locksmith.
Hess is cautious with his support of the bill. Others are more enthusiastic.
"KGO7 has been at the forefront in the state of California of bringing this to the attention of the consuming public, " said Brueggeman.
"I just thank KGO for bringing this to our attention. I think this is a very important consumer safety issue, " said Ma.
A bill signed by the Governor this week will crack down on unlicensed locksmiths gouging vulnerable residents locked out of their home or cars. Supporters of the measure credit a 7 On Your Side investigation with inspiring the bill.
Related stories:
Cindy Bevington
BBB offers its latest consumer ‘watch’ list
(Created: Sunday, October 12, 2008 9:39 AM EDT) | Text Size | print | e-mail
The Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana has released its latest consumer tips list. As you read through it, the BBB reminds readers to consider the importance of the practice in question and the total performance of the company. For complete information, visit bbb.org.
1. Vonage advertises “Get unlimited local and long distance calling for only $24.99 a month.” The BBB strongly suggests that consumers read the very lengthy terms and conditions before signing up. Of the 8, 920 complaints that have been filed against this company, 1, 763 were regarding service issues and 2, 233 were from consumers requesting refunds.
2. Epic Financial Management is advertising its debt negotiation services on Indiana TV. The company states, “… our financial advisers have been helping people rid themselves of debt for over 10 years.” The BBB could find no evidence of this company operating for more than three years. Complaints to the BBB generally are that Epic failed to perform as agreed, and that creditors continued to call. This California company has the BBB’s lowest rating.
3. The Gaia Movement is one of over 20 names used by this charity. The organization is putting out large, green containers in Indianapolis and Anderson that resemble trash recycling bins. Signs on the bins indicate that the resale of the clothing is used to educate and finance environmental projects around the world. According to Gaia’s 2006 IRS 990, 28% of the revenue generated from the resold clothing is spent on programs. The BBB recommends at least 65%.
4. Cosco/Dorel Juvenile Group manufactures children’s car seats, strollers, toys, etc. Recent complaints concern their battery-operated riding toy vehicles breaking down, not holding a charge and inability to repair in a timely fashion. So far 67 complaints have been filed. They have the BBB’s lowest rating.
5. Dependable Locksmith, 24-Hour Emergency Locksmith, Millennium Locksmith, Speedway Locksmith, and USA Total Security are just a few of the 17 names used by this New York-based company. In 2006 the Ohio Attorney General sued them for false advertising, unauthorized repairs and other business practices that violated consumer protection laws and rules. They want you to think they are a locally based company when they aren’t. So far 310 complaints have been filed against this company. They have the BBB’s lowest rating.
6. Greatest Kept Secrets, “an exclusive organization, ” is sending letters that say, “We’ve discovered something special about you.” This “secret society” is made up of “some of the world’s most famous and powerful people.” The secrets include how to lose weight, win at gambling, become a millionaire, be successful in business, eliminate all addictions, have the power to cure and know what others are thinking. It’s free now, but what you will end up paying later?
7. Foreclosure Assistance is contacting Hoosiers, claiming the company can keep them out of foreclosure. Consumers have complained about service issues and not receiving requested refunds. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office filed suit against this company in 2007. So far 265 complaints have been filed against this Florida company. They have the BBB’s lowest rating.
8. Business Alert-US Local Business Association is sending Indiana businesses an e-mail announcing that the recipient is “… a 2008 Best of Avon Award winner, ” or “Best of Indianapolis award winner.” “Winners” are asked to buy a plaque commemorating the award. The Pennsylvania Avenue address is a known mail drop. The BBB advises caution.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Sweepstakes, Sweepstakes! Prize Research Intelligence Agency, PSS World Clearing House, The Aussie Lotto, The Atlantic Lottery, Corporate Claim Services, “Farm Bureau” of Consumer Protection Affairs, and ElGordo are all hitting Indiana. If you have to send money, don’t do it, even if there is a check enclosed to cover the up-front fee. The check is counterfeit.
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24 Hour Mobile Locksmith, Dependable Locks
Phone: [protected]
407 S. Arcturas Ave
Clearwater, Florida, 33765
U.S.A.
Submitted: 10/21/2017 10:15:43 AM
Modified: 10/21/2017 10:16:00 AM
Julie
South Weber, Utah
On October 21, 2017, I called a “local" number for a locksmith who indicated that they were located in Layton, UT to come and unlock my car. The lady on the line told my daughter that the charge for service would be '$39 and $15 per hour'. When the “technician" arrived, he indicated that he was in a hurry and it took him less than 3 minutes to unlock the car. My 16-year-old daughter was the one there, along with a 15-year-old neighbor boy, (it is her car), and she had a check to pay for the service. When the technician was finished, he said it would cost $145. My daughter, being young and inexperienced, filled out the check and gave it to the technician.
I just called the number listed for Layton [protected] to find out the cost they quoted and was told that the technician would come out and evaluate what had to be done to unlock the car, give and estimate as to the cost, then allow the customer to decide if that amount was acceptable. This did not happen.
The technician never gave my daughter an estimate or idea of what the work would cost. He performed a three-minute job and charged a huge amount for it. He was in a very big hurry and made my daughter uncomfortable and nervous. And he accepted a check that had the name of the company and amount filled out by my 16-year-old daughter.
When I told the lady on the phone what happened, she transferred me to Customer Service. I spoke with a man and he indicated that the charges were “fair" and that they were well within their right to charge what they did. He then put me on hold to transfer me to his Supervisor and was subsequently hung up on. This was my second conversation with Customer Service. As soon as my daughter called me with the amount, I immediately called the Customer Service number and told them of my situation.
The lady I spoke with at that time asked me if the person who was there when the service was provided was over 18. I told her no…that my daughter was only 16. She put me on hold for several minutes then came back and told me that “although the technician was wrong for accepting a check from a minor and performing work without an adult present, the charges were whatever the technician has said and because my daughter had a check, he could accept it." I asked to speak to the supervisor. She said she was the supervisor. I asked to speak to a Manager and she told me that if I had any further complaints or issues that I had to submit them in writing to a Clearwater, FL address. (407 S. Arcturas Av., Clearwater, FL 33765). The Customer Service number is [protected]. The number for the technician who came to my home is [protected].
After all this, I googled the company Dependable Locks (which is the name on the very generic and poorly written receipt) and they are listed on Rip-off.com with several of these very same complaints.
Julie
South Weber, Utah
U.S.A.
Dependable Locks
Phone: [protected]
Fax:
Louisville, ky
Louisville, Kentucky, 40214
U.S.A.
Submitted: 10/24/2008 4:07:22 PM
Modified: 10/24/2008 4:07:00 PM
Roxanne
louisville, Kentucky
I dont have a key to my car trunk and due to a power short in the car the button in the glove box does not work. so I thought I would try a lock smith in the phone book. called them up. guy on the other end said it would be 39 sevice charge plus 15 and up for them to unlock the trunk and also said that they take debit, charge or cash. so a little iraning looking guy shows up about 45 min. later. had the papers already filled out wanting $95 dollars plus $35 and wanting me to sign it. I asked him what he was going to do at first he was going to open the car door and pop the butten in the glove box and charge me for it. I told him it did not work and that I was not going pay for that kind of service. then he told me he would try to pick the lock or drill it out but if that didnt would I would still have to pay him. if I wanted the locked drilled I would of already done that! and that I was not going to pay
95 for his services which I thought was to much. fine the man said but u still have to pay the service charge. I threw a fit handed him my card. and at that point the man told me that he only took cash. on the phone I go call the main people telling them that this was BS and that they lied to me in the first place about the price. they told me over phone the first time I called that they took debit credit and cash. mam! our machine is down. I blew up YOU TOLD ME U TOOK DEBIT! I told them that I was being ripped of because now I had to pay $40 for him To tell me it would take $95 in order to get my trunk open. I called [protected] and they told me they would not have been able to do that kind of work.
Roxanne
louisville, Kentucky
U.S.A.
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« The great Bidz.com jewelry scamUSALocksmiths.com - Worst of the worst
By sparrowshead
USALocksmiths.com manages to combine good old-fashioned scamming with threatening-behavior and taking advantage of single women trapped outside their apartments. There are early-hints that the pricing isn’t exactly transparent, as shown by their online voucher:
This company will likely be the first recommendation when you call 1800-FREE-411. One of their representatives will then tell you three lies, all making you feel like you’re dealing with a professional company while setting you up for a massive amount of scamming:
A 30-minute arrival guarantee, which will turn into a couple of hours. By the time the guy arrives and gives you an outrageous bill, you haven’t much choice since you’ve already spent so long outside.
A $55 call-out fee, and a time-based charge, which is a total fabrication. Our investigations indicate that nobody pays less that $170, the average time to open a door is about 10 minutes, which works out at about $1020 per hour.
The ability to pay by credit card (and Paypal, according to their website), when in fact they will only take cash. The reason is to avoid chargebacks, or any type of recourse, once you realize you’ve been scammed. Check out the “waiver of rights” they force people to sign: “Customer is satisfied and has no complaints, and ALL charges are undisputable”.
A personal story.
One of our readers recalls her story. Locked out of her San Francisco apartment, she called 1800-FREE-411 for a locksmith, and USALocksmiths.com arrived two hours later, having previously pledged arrival within 30 minutes. Our reader doesn’t live in the safest of areas, so was happy when the locksmith arrived. He looked at her lock (and most likely at her Coach purse too) and decided arbitrarily it would cost $215. When she protested, he started packing up to leave. Desperately, she agreed, and he opened her front door in less than 60 seconds. When she offered him her credit card, he refused, entered the apartment and demanded cash. He then refused to leave until she signed the waiver, and when she tried to complain the next day, the service representative said they “didn’t deal with complaints since she’d signed the form”.
Another victim in a similar set of circumstances sent us this invoice:
Apparently, it costs $135 for “lock out itlbwr shlouge khubset 6-pines key is upside”. This client said she’d had such a bad feeling from the experience that she’d since had all her locks changed, although this time she was able to research a reputable firm on the Internet. Reviews on consumer websites show a pattern of scamming, price gouging, abusive behavior and taking advantage of people in difficult situations:
“DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT USE THEM! Anything that says A-24 Hour Locksmith, Dependable Locks, or something to that extent. If you call and they say “It’s $39 plus $15 for each lock opened” HANG UP! This company is the BIGGEST SCAM out there. They will come and then hand you a bill for $149. They are doing this ALL over the country and San Mateo County is even suing them! Don’t CALL THEM! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!” (Yelp)
“Complete ripoff, I get an estimate for $450 to put a new doorknob on and adjust the top lock. A little high, but whatever, just finish it up. A half hour later the job is done and the guy hands me a bill for almost $700! I ‘forgot’ about taxes, the service call, and, of course, labor!” (Yelp)
“The whole thing was very shady and strange. The technician arrived in a private vehicle, not one bearing a business name. My keys were in my car, so instead of using a jimmy bar, he slid two little air bags between the door and the jamb and pumped them up so that he could pull the lock on the door. While he was doing that I asked him if there was a chance that that would damage the car and he just said, “Of course.” So when he shut the door again, the door was clearly bent, which I pointed out.” (Complaints Board)
“The customer service representative, Richard Lawson, told us that he would not have anybody come out and would not refund us any portion of the cost, and that he decided what the “All work is guaranteed for 90 days” and to him it just meant that if the locks didn’t function, they would repair them. He said he could interpret the guarantee however he wanted because it was his guarantee. He refused to take off the locks and refund us any of our money.” (Complaints Board)
The Verdict
We called their 1800 number to find out the cost of a fictitious lockout in the same neighborhood as our reader who complained about their service - we were told “about $70″. When we said we’d heard of much higher numbers, they claimed that lockouts “never exceeded $100″. They also repeated the claim that all credit cards were accepted - feel free to call them yourself on [protected] to verify.
You don’t have to look very far on the Internet to find not only endless complaints about this company, but class-action lawsuits, actions from attorney generals and general misery all around. Clearly, never use this bad company, but take the time now to find out from your insurance who they recommend so if you ever lock yourself out, you can call a reputable agent rather than bunch of lying, threatening, scamming thieves.
Just for the fact they leave vunerable women in danger, and then press them for cash payment and use threatening behavior, USALocksmiths.com gets 100% Bad Company rating.
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Tags: bad company, usalocksmiths.com, usalocksmith.com, locksmiths, lock out, consumer complaints, [protected], lock replacement, unlock, scam companies, scammers, illegal behavior, bad service, price gouging, billing fraud, Locksmith, USA Locksmith, usalocksmith, locks, lock, deadbolt, safe, safes, keyless entry, electronic lock, installation
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