Larry from legallocksmith.com is now on twitter. If you want to keep up with how the fight is going against the scammers sign up and become a follower. The information is below.
I would like to invite all of our Legal Locksmiths.com members and anyone else that is helping fight the phonies to follow us on http://www.twitter.com/. If you are not familiar with Twitter, it is a free and easy way to share information instantly with anyone. There is so much happening with the fight against the phonies that I would like to share these things with you as they happen. You can sign up for a free twitter account then search LegalLocksmiths and then click follow. You can also set it up to receive our updates on your cell phone via text messages. If you cannot follow us on Twitter I will be sending out periodical e-mails from time to time giving updates that way. So if you want to jump into the next generation of the internet, come follow LegalLocksmiths on Twitter. Thank you!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Court Order to stop phony locksmiths
AG Cooper Wins Court Order To Stop Phony Locksmiths
By Press Release, Press Release, 3 hours, 37 minutes agoUpdated: May. 15 1:08 pm
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Attorney General Roy Cooper today won a court order to stop a network of phony locksmiths from ripping off North Carolina consumers.
“It’s frustrating to find yourself locked out of your home or car, and it’s even worse when someone you call for help tries to rip you off,” Cooper said. “Taking advantage of vulnerable customers is no way to do business, and we’re stepping in to stop it.”
Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul C. Ridgeway Thursday agreed with Cooper’s request for a temporary restraining order to bar several locksmith companies and their owners from advertising, offering or performing any locksmith services in North Carolina. Cooper is seeking a permanent ban on the companies, refunds for consumers, and civil penalties of $5,000 for each illegal act by the companies.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit filed today are: 704 Locksmith, Inc. of Charlotte which does business in the Triangle area under several names including Raleigh Locksmith, Durham Locksmith, Apex Locksmith and Smithfield Locksmith; NC Charlotte Locksmith which does business throughout central and western North Carolina using a variety of names such as Charlotte Locksmith, Concord Locksmith, Hickory Locksmith, and Shelby Locksmith; Anna Konevsky of Charlotte, president of 704 Locksmith and NC Charlotte Locksmith; Locksmith Services, Inc. of Charlotte, which also operates as Cary Locksmith and Atlantis Locksmith; and Tamir Avraham of Charlotte, president of Locksmith Services, Inc.
According to the Attorney General’s investigation, the defendants advertise online and in the yellow pages using names, telephone numbers and addresses that make their companies appear to be local. In many cases, they use names and addresses that belong to legitimate locksmith businesses. No one who works for the defendants is actually a licensed locksmith as required by law, but the companies advertise and perform locksmith services.
North Carolina consumers have called these companies looking for a local locksmith who could come let them into their home, business or car. As alleged in complaint filed by Cooper’s office, consumers are routinely quoted one price on the phone and then charged a much higher price by the locksmith who shows up to do the work. Consumers are typically told that their lock must be drilled even when that isn’t necessary, which will cost them $100 more and destroy the lock. People are then charged another $100 or more to replace their destroyed locks. The defendants usually demand payment in cash, refusing to let consumers pay by credit card.
As cited in the complaint, one Cary consumers’ experience illustrates the way the defendants operate. After getting locked out of her home, the consumer used a neighbor’s computer to locate a locksmith, Cary Locksmith, which was actually Locksmith Services. She called the phone number listed and an agent from the company showed up an hour later. He told her that it wouldn’t cost much to get back in her home. After he drilled through the lock to open her door, he told her she owed $215 plus another $100 if she wanted the lock replaced. She wanted to pay by credit card but the agent insisted on cash, even offering to drive her to the ATM. She refused and eventually paid by check—which the agent at first wanted her to make out to him rather than to the company.
To avoid falling victim to similar scams, Cooper recommends the following tips:
Whenever possible, check out a business before you do business with them by calling the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau. People who practice skilled trades such as locksmiths are required to be licensed. Before someone does work for you, ask if they’re licensed and write down their license number. Get a price quote in writing before you agree to any work. For services you may need in an emergency, such as a locksmith or plumber, find a good one before an emergency happens. Ask family and friends for recommendations, check them out and then save their contact information so you’ll have it when you need it. “Shutting down scammers protects consumers and legitimate businesses,” Cooper said. “Let my office know if you spot a potential scam.”
Consumers can call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM to check out a company or file a complaint.
By Press Release, Press Release, 3 hours, 37 minutes agoUpdated: May. 15 1:08 pm
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Attorney General Roy Cooper today won a court order to stop a network of phony locksmiths from ripping off North Carolina consumers.
“It’s frustrating to find yourself locked out of your home or car, and it’s even worse when someone you call for help tries to rip you off,” Cooper said. “Taking advantage of vulnerable customers is no way to do business, and we’re stepping in to stop it.”
Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul C. Ridgeway Thursday agreed with Cooper’s request for a temporary restraining order to bar several locksmith companies and their owners from advertising, offering or performing any locksmith services in North Carolina. Cooper is seeking a permanent ban on the companies, refunds for consumers, and civil penalties of $5,000 for each illegal act by the companies.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit filed today are: 704 Locksmith, Inc. of Charlotte which does business in the Triangle area under several names including Raleigh Locksmith, Durham Locksmith, Apex Locksmith and Smithfield Locksmith; NC Charlotte Locksmith which does business throughout central and western North Carolina using a variety of names such as Charlotte Locksmith, Concord Locksmith, Hickory Locksmith, and Shelby Locksmith; Anna Konevsky of Charlotte, president of 704 Locksmith and NC Charlotte Locksmith; Locksmith Services, Inc. of Charlotte, which also operates as Cary Locksmith and Atlantis Locksmith; and Tamir Avraham of Charlotte, president of Locksmith Services, Inc.
According to the Attorney General’s investigation, the defendants advertise online and in the yellow pages using names, telephone numbers and addresses that make their companies appear to be local. In many cases, they use names and addresses that belong to legitimate locksmith businesses. No one who works for the defendants is actually a licensed locksmith as required by law, but the companies advertise and perform locksmith services.
North Carolina consumers have called these companies looking for a local locksmith who could come let them into their home, business or car. As alleged in complaint filed by Cooper’s office, consumers are routinely quoted one price on the phone and then charged a much higher price by the locksmith who shows up to do the work. Consumers are typically told that their lock must be drilled even when that isn’t necessary, which will cost them $100 more and destroy the lock. People are then charged another $100 or more to replace their destroyed locks. The defendants usually demand payment in cash, refusing to let consumers pay by credit card.
As cited in the complaint, one Cary consumers’ experience illustrates the way the defendants operate. After getting locked out of her home, the consumer used a neighbor’s computer to locate a locksmith, Cary Locksmith, which was actually Locksmith Services. She called the phone number listed and an agent from the company showed up an hour later. He told her that it wouldn’t cost much to get back in her home. After he drilled through the lock to open her door, he told her she owed $215 plus another $100 if she wanted the lock replaced. She wanted to pay by credit card but the agent insisted on cash, even offering to drive her to the ATM. She refused and eventually paid by check—which the agent at first wanted her to make out to him rather than to the company.
To avoid falling victim to similar scams, Cooper recommends the following tips:
Whenever possible, check out a business before you do business with them by calling the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau. People who practice skilled trades such as locksmiths are required to be licensed. Before someone does work for you, ask if they’re licensed and write down their license number. Get a price quote in writing before you agree to any work. For services you may need in an emergency, such as a locksmith or plumber, find a good one before an emergency happens. Ask family and friends for recommendations, check them out and then save their contact information so you’ll have it when you need it. “Shutting down scammers protects consumers and legitimate businesses,” Cooper said. “Let my office know if you spot a potential scam.”
Consumers can call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM to check out a company or file a complaint.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Is your house safe from Bumping?
It is happening everyday across the country. People come home from a hard day of work or from vacation and they found that their house has been cleaned out with no sign of break in. What happen? In a word, Bumping.
The reality of the situation is that anyone who is inclined to steal from you now can learn everything they need to know to make and use a bump key on the Internet. If you have the standard store bought locks on your house then your lock is highly susceptible to bumping.
There are many low and medium cost solutions that can prevent you and your house from being the next bump key victim. The most effective solution is to get bump and pick resistant locks put on your house. These locks have special key ways that the average thief won't carry or can't even get at a hardware store. They also make it very difficult to bump if they happen to have the right key way. When your house takes longer to break in the would be thief will move on to an easier target.
To learn more about your options please call a reputable locksmith that can cover all the options with you. Of course you can call Pop-A-Lock and have a highly trained Technician review your home and make the best recommendation to solve your security concerns.
The reality of the situation is that anyone who is inclined to steal from you now can learn everything they need to know to make and use a bump key on the Internet. If you have the standard store bought locks on your house then your lock is highly susceptible to bumping.
There are many low and medium cost solutions that can prevent you and your house from being the next bump key victim. The most effective solution is to get bump and pick resistant locks put on your house. These locks have special key ways that the average thief won't carry or can't even get at a hardware store. They also make it very difficult to bump if they happen to have the right key way. When your house takes longer to break in the would be thief will move on to an easier target.
To learn more about your options please call a reputable locksmith that can cover all the options with you. Of course you can call Pop-A-Lock and have a highly trained Technician review your home and make the best recommendation to solve your security concerns.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Is your Locksmith rated on Angie's List?
One great way to avoid being scammed by a locksmith is to see if they are rated on Angie's List. Not a member? Maybe it is time you look again. For $55 a year you have a great resource for all of your service needs including medical doctors.
What makes Angie's list so great is that the only way you can get on there is by being nominated from a member. Once you are on then only reviews from members are accepted. If your locksmith or other service provider is not on the list then you should either nominate them if you really like the work they do or you should look for another provider who is on there with a B rating or better.
To make sure you are getting the cream of the crop you should also see if they are a Super Service Award Winner. Only 5% of Angie's list companies win this highly regarded award.
Below is a link to check them out: https://www.angieslist.com/Angieslist/Login.aspx
What makes Angie's list so great is that the only way you can get on there is by being nominated from a member. Once you are on then only reviews from members are accepted. If your locksmith or other service provider is not on the list then you should either nominate them if you really like the work they do or you should look for another provider who is on there with a B rating or better.
To make sure you are getting the cream of the crop you should also see if they are a Super Service Award Winner. Only 5% of Angie's list companies win this highly regarded award.
Below is a link to check them out: https://www.angieslist.com/Angieslist/Login.aspx
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Please fill out the yellow page petition
Below is a link to Legallocksmith.com. Please go there and fill out the yellow page petition to let the yellow pages that we are not going to stand for the scammers in our industry anymore. They are taking out thousands of numbers and ads to the detriment of consumers and locksmiths. Please help in letting our voices be heard.
http://www.legallocksmiths.com/
http://www.legallocksmiths.com/
Pop-A-Lock Provides Leadership to "Fight The Scammers"
Here is a great post from the corporate office of Pop-A-Lock. It is very important if you are a consumer to verify your locksmith with the BBB at a very minimum.
An issue of concern that threatens to defraud consumers is the widespread proliferation of “Scammers” in the Locksmith industry. Legitimate locksmiths are concerned about the potential harm to consumers and are working together to combat this problem. Pop-A-Lock® is the largest locksmith provider in the country serving more than 4,000 communities in 40 states and is currently working with state, national and industry agencies to establish stricter guidelines and increased accountability within the locksmith industry.
Robert Reynolds, Director of Operations for Pop-A-Lock®, has been on the front lines for many years working with others in the locksmith community to crack down on the “scammers”. Joined by the largest locksmith industry association, The Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA.org), Pop-A-Lock® has been pursing action to cure the problem of “Phony Locksmiths”. ALOA has presented evidence of the problem to various state agencies and at an Attorney Generals’ conference. ALOA and Pop-A-Lock® have also been archiving customer complaints and providing information to consumers and locksmiths who have been affected by these scams.
The Better Business Bureau issued a nationwide warning regarding questionable business practices of certain multi-regional companies operating as locksmiths. The report indicated that the BBB experienced a 75% increase in complaints against locksmiths in a 12 month period.
The two main unethical / illegal practices most troubling for those who are interested in protecting the public are:
1) Massive listing of phone numbers associated with fake addresses. For example, in a recent Austin , TX utility phone book, over 13 pages of in-line phone listings were added to the locksmith category of the phone book. The vast majority of addresses were either fictitious or were not associated with any locksmith business, often to the frustration of the actual tenant of the address. The false address issue is a direct effort to overwhelm a potential consumer with choices…choices that all lead to the same company.
2) The practice of giving incomplete and often misleading pricing at the time a customer requests service, then adding huge amounts to the bill upon arrival or at the end of service. The ‘price switch’ problem takes advantage of a trick of language on the expressions “service call” or to “come out”’, particularly when an emergency service is involved. The scam goes something like this:
-The customer contacts a phone number associated with one of the phony addresses (thinking the technician is right around the corner).
-The customer indicates that they are locked out of their home, vehicle or business, and the dispatcher informs them that a technician will be dispatched out.
-If no price is asked, none is offered.
-If a cost for services is asked, a vague response of “It is _____ to come out and $10.00 and up to open it.”
-What happens then is the technician shows up at the call and produces an invoice for several times the amount that was quoted, usually with the excuse that the vehicle is difficult to open and that is why the service cost so much. For reference, it is an accepted industry practice to charge a higher amount to open certain vehicles, usually because of specialized tools or training required to open the vehicle. A late model BMW with a deadlocking feature is an example of such an instance. However, most standard vehicles such as Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan etc. can be quoted ‘sight unseen’ and have very little variance in difficulty.
-In the case of accessing a house or business they often have not been trained to perform lock bypass techniques such as picking or other form of lock manipulation so they produce a drill, destroy the lock and then charge hundreds of dollars more than the original quote.
Consumers should establish a relationship with a locksmith before they need one to avoid the confusion and misleading information that the scammers rely on. Ask for referrals and check out your next locksmith with the Better Business Bureau and ALOA (ALOA.org).
A complete list of ALOA approved Pop-A-Lock® locations and phone numbers can be found at the company’s website, http://www.popalock.com/, or by calling 1-800-popalock.
For more information regarding the efforts of Pop-A-Lock® and ALOA to fight the “scammers”, contact Rob Reynolds 337-316-3693 or by email http://us.mc319.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pop@lock.com
An issue of concern that threatens to defraud consumers is the widespread proliferation of “Scammers” in the Locksmith industry. Legitimate locksmiths are concerned about the potential harm to consumers and are working together to combat this problem. Pop-A-Lock® is the largest locksmith provider in the country serving more than 4,000 communities in 40 states and is currently working with state, national and industry agencies to establish stricter guidelines and increased accountability within the locksmith industry.
Robert Reynolds, Director of Operations for Pop-A-Lock®, has been on the front lines for many years working with others in the locksmith community to crack down on the “scammers”. Joined by the largest locksmith industry association, The Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA.org), Pop-A-Lock® has been pursing action to cure the problem of “Phony Locksmiths”. ALOA has presented evidence of the problem to various state agencies and at an Attorney Generals’ conference. ALOA and Pop-A-Lock® have also been archiving customer complaints and providing information to consumers and locksmiths who have been affected by these scams.
The Better Business Bureau issued a nationwide warning regarding questionable business practices of certain multi-regional companies operating as locksmiths. The report indicated that the BBB experienced a 75% increase in complaints against locksmiths in a 12 month period.
The two main unethical / illegal practices most troubling for those who are interested in protecting the public are:
1) Massive listing of phone numbers associated with fake addresses. For example, in a recent Austin , TX utility phone book, over 13 pages of in-line phone listings were added to the locksmith category of the phone book. The vast majority of addresses were either fictitious or were not associated with any locksmith business, often to the frustration of the actual tenant of the address. The false address issue is a direct effort to overwhelm a potential consumer with choices…choices that all lead to the same company.
2) The practice of giving incomplete and often misleading pricing at the time a customer requests service, then adding huge amounts to the bill upon arrival or at the end of service. The ‘price switch’ problem takes advantage of a trick of language on the expressions “service call” or to “come out”’, particularly when an emergency service is involved. The scam goes something like this:
-The customer contacts a phone number associated with one of the phony addresses (thinking the technician is right around the corner).
-The customer indicates that they are locked out of their home, vehicle or business, and the dispatcher informs them that a technician will be dispatched out.
-If no price is asked, none is offered.
-If a cost for services is asked, a vague response of “It is _____ to come out and $10.00 and up to open it.”
-What happens then is the technician shows up at the call and produces an invoice for several times the amount that was quoted, usually with the excuse that the vehicle is difficult to open and that is why the service cost so much. For reference, it is an accepted industry practice to charge a higher amount to open certain vehicles, usually because of specialized tools or training required to open the vehicle. A late model BMW with a deadlocking feature is an example of such an instance. However, most standard vehicles such as Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan etc. can be quoted ‘sight unseen’ and have very little variance in difficulty.
-In the case of accessing a house or business they often have not been trained to perform lock bypass techniques such as picking or other form of lock manipulation so they produce a drill, destroy the lock and then charge hundreds of dollars more than the original quote.
Consumers should establish a relationship with a locksmith before they need one to avoid the confusion and misleading information that the scammers rely on. Ask for referrals and check out your next locksmith with the Better Business Bureau and ALOA (ALOA.org).
A complete list of ALOA approved Pop-A-Lock® locations and phone numbers can be found at the company’s website, http://www.popalock.com/, or by calling 1-800-popalock.
For more information regarding the efforts of Pop-A-Lock® and ALOA to fight the “scammers”, contact Rob Reynolds 337-316-3693 or by email http://us.mc319.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pop@lock.com
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Another great site to find real Locksmiths
The heat is starting to turn up on the phony Locksmiths. I came across a great web-site that really is trying to weed out the scammers from the legitimate Locksmiths. It is time we take our profession back and do what ever it takes to weed these parasites out. They are hurting consumers with their over inflated prices and incompetent skills and they are hurting the very fabric of the locksmith industry. I urge all people, consumers and Locksmiths to write your attorney general write the Yellow Pages and tell them you have had enough of being taken advantage of. They will only act if we make our voices heard. Please support Legallocksmiths.com.
http://www.legallocksmiths.com/Home_Page.php
http://www.legallocksmiths.com/Home_Page.php
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