Tips To Spot a Phony Locksmith From Lock Repair Waterloo

Today, in this world that we live in, so many people are in a situation where they feel that the only way that they can make a living is by cheating others out of their hard earned income. It is therefore not a very uncommon thing to hire somebody that you think is an honest professional only to discover that they were professional scam artists. Anybody can get caught up in these scams and thus it is very important to know how to spot phonies whenever it comes to money changing hands. The locksmith profession is not one that has been spared from the unfortunate tainting of scam artists. Lock Repair Waterloo provides complete security for your home, office and car.

This article will go through a few pointers that will help you smell a phony locksmith from a mile away.

• Can’t produce license or certification – The first thing that you have to ask a locksmith before you go into any other issues is whether or not he is certified and has a license to practice. If they cannot produce proof of certification and license to go about their business then you would rather stay away from them than gamble that all will be alright.

• Liability policy – Once you have confirmed that they have a license to practice, you want to make sure that they have a liability policy. This means that you will be compensated should their actions lead to the damage or loss of your property. Not all locksmiths will have this but there are plenty who do so look for them.

• Too many complaints from past clients – You need to get in contact with the past clients that have dealt with your soon to be locksmith. If he does not want to give you ways to get in contact with them then you can be sure he has a past that he wants to hide. If he gives you their contacts and all the past clients have nothing but negative remarks about him, find another one.

• Don’t want to give you a written quote – A lot of the scam artists out there will usually not want to produce a written quote for you. Even though the locksmith had given you a very fair price while on the phone, make sure that he gives you a written quote before he begins any work for you. A lot of people have been scammed by being given an outrageous final figure after the work is complete.

• Can’t prove their experience – The locksmith should have a way of proving to you how many years they have been in the business.

• Don’t have a physical office/store – In these times we are living in, a lot of people will have their adverts all over various media but no physical office or store front. If you want to be on the safer side, you have to find a locksmith that has a physical store and its address well put up for all to see on the adverts. You need to pay this store/office a visit. Even though it is not very big, it is a good sign that you are probably not being scammed.