TIPS TO AVIOD ROGUE LOCKSMITHS
Our industry, outside of the MLA’s approved company scheme, remains completely unregulated. This lack of regulation means anyone can advertise, trade, buy locksmith tools and call themselves a locksmith, with little or no training, and without providing proof of competence. It means householders calling out a locksmith – who they have often found via an online advertisement – are placing their security with someone who might not only be incompetent, but who may not have had to pass any criminal record checks.
A qualified locksmith will be a member of a body such as the Master Locksmiths Association or MLA. They will also have gone through training and have qualifications to become a member. But a rogue locksmith is someone who either falsely claims membership or simply offers locksmith services without being qualified to do so.
The easiest way to find out if a locksmith is legitimate is to ask for the details of their professional membership and then check it out on their website. The MLA has information on their website and you can email them to check someone out. Never hire anyone who doesn’t provide all of this information upfront and remember, if their price seems too cheap, there’s probably a good reason for it!
DO SOME BACKGROUND RESEARCH
GET SOME TESTIMONIALS
AVOID CALL CENTRE LOCKSMITH SERVICES
ASK FOR IDENTIFICATION
GET A WRITTEN ESTIMATE OF THE FEES THEY’LL CHARGE
AVOID PAYING BY CASH
BUILD A RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST WITH YOUR LOCKSMITH
