How to Find a Trustworthy Auto Locksmith Company Online

All over the internet you will find promises of 15$, 17$, 25$ locksmith services from scam companies. Don't fall into their trap! They will quote you one price over the phone and then charge you an arm and a leg for a simple 5 min car lockout. The horror stories are all over the internet.

Most reputable companies will charge a service call fee, but they will be able to give you a quote over the phone, and some will offer flat rate pricing for car lockouts. Oftentimes it will be hard for the locksmith company to tell you exactly how much the service of your choice will cost, depending on what service you need performed on your vehicle.

There are many horror stories that have surfaced over the years involving the locksmith industry in the US. With many states not requiring licensing to perform work, it is easy for non-professional individuals and companies to lure customers into their trap, and with the proliferation of the internet is has become even easier to set up a front that looks legitimate. If you need automotive locksmith work please read on in order to find out the best way to choose a legitimate company that will not damage your vehicle or charge you an arm and a leg for service.

So what are some things to look out for when looking for a locksmith company?

1. Generic Company Names

This isn't necessarily a sign of a bad locksmith company, but many scammers will have listings in online or print directories that have names such as: (AAA locksmith, A New York Locksmiths, A-1 Locksmiths). The A or 1 at the beginning of a company name helps in some directories to rank ahead of their competition, and they names are not necessarily correlated with a real business that you can find or file a complaint against.

2. Very Low Pricing

Service industries are expensive, and mobile services especially must charge a certain amount to make money. No locksmith company can keep their doors open by providing 19$ lockout services, its just not possible. With the price of gas, having to pay employees, parts and time, you can see why these prices are just a way of duping customers. Most lockout services will cost at least 60$, with extra service charges for emergency services in most cases.

3. Foreign sounding Dispatchers:

Again this is not necessarily a sign of a bad locksmith company, but just be weary. Many scammer companies use VOIP (voice over ip numbers) to forward calls to a dispatch center that is not in this country, and then they dispatch the locksmith in your city that they work with.

• 24 Hour Lockouts
• Car Lock Changes
• Broken Car Key Removal
• Car Lock Repair
• Ignition Switch Repair/Replace
• Replacement Car Keys
• Key-less Entry (Key Fobs)
• Glove Box Locks
• Car Door Lock Re-keying
• Motorcycle Keys
• Car Key Programming
• Trunk Lock Repair

Most good car locksmith companies will be able to provide mobile service, and some are on call 24 hours a day for emergency service. If you have a car that is still in production (within the past 20 years) and isn't a custom ignition assembly it will be easier to find a company to program you new car keys or help you with OEM or aftermarket part replacements.

Locksmiths are only required to hold a license in 14 states, so if you are in one of these states it will be easy to rule out a company that does not hold the proper license number. Here are the 14 states that require proper licensing.

• Alabama
  California
  Connecticut
  Illinois
  Louisiana
  Nebraska
  Nevada
  New Jersey
  North Carolina
  Oklahoma
  Oregon
  Tennessee
  Texas
  Washington D.C.

1. Read Online Reviews - good places include Yelp.com, Superpages & Citysearch, BBB.org or Angie's List if you are a member.

2. Ask for upfront pricing & make sure you know how much a service call will be.

3. If a locksmith will not take credit cards and want cash - then be very weary of that company.

I hope these tips help you find a great locksmith company near you that will provide effective service for your vehicle. Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment if you have any stories that pertain to finding a car locksmith. Got a great company to recommend? Leave a comment below!