What you should know

Before You Hire Any Locksmith In NYC, Read This First

1. The first, and most important thing to make sure of when you call a locksmith company in NYC, is to confirm they are licensed by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.  Don't be afraid to ask for their license number. 

2. Should you request a locksmith be sent to your home, business or car, have the person who arrives show you their locksmith license.  Every NYC licensed locksmith is licensed by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.  It is illegal to claim to be, or pose as a licensed locksmith.  A licensed locksmith is fingerprinted and background checked for your security.  Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals may pose as licensed locksmiths.  They are usually the ones who rip unsuspecting people off with exorbitant fees, especially in emergency situations.

Emergency Situations

3. In an Emergency Situation ( i.e. locked out of your home, business or car ) ask these questions before a locksmith is sent over.

A.  Is there a Service Charge or Trip Fee for coming over to your location?  It is not unfair or unusual for a company to charge such a fee.  The fee can range from no fee to any amount the company wants to charge.  Night rates are usually higher.  Some companies will deduct the service charge if they are hired to do the work .  Be careful and make sure, if you can, that the service fee is not hidden in the cost of the work.  A fair day time fee can range between $15.00 & $45.00 for coming over.  Night fees are usually double or triple, depending on the lateness of the hour.

B. Explain your situation as accurately as possible to the person on the phone.  If it's a home or business, how many locks need opening?  What kind of locks are on the door?  Most people think of a lock as something you put a key in, turn and open.  In today's market there are many different kinds of locks requiring different methods of opening.  Not every lock can be opened without damage.  High security locks, plates and bars all add to your security  They are not designed to be opened easily.  Many times they must be drilled and destroyed to gain entry. However, this is not true every time.  Some locks can be manipulated and opened without being destroyed. This is especially true if you left your keys in your house and the door closed behind you, or you have a low security lock.

C. If it's a car emergency, give the person on the phone the make, model and year of the car. They should give you an accurate price for opening a door, and/or making a key, as long and the locks are in good working condition.

D. For a home or business, if you accurately explain your situation, the person on the phone should be able to give you a fair estimate of the charges to open your door, and if necessary, replace any damaged parts.  Unfortunately, there are times when the locksmith arrives and the situation as explained on the phone is not the situation on site.   Locks may not be as described, or the locked out person may have tried to open the door and damaged the lock(s) in the process. We have had calls where the customer asked to change a lock, but failed the mention that they were locked out.  You must be the judge as to whether the locksmith is being fair.  This is not always easy.  In an emergency situation you do not have much time to hunt around.  However, you always have the option to send the person away.  Even if it cost a service fee, if you don't feel comfortable, you are probably right.

E. When the locksmith arrives, ask to see their license and ask again for the cost of the work to be done.  Now that the locksmith can see the situation, they should be able to give an accurate price to do the job.

Non-Emergency Situations For A Home Or Business

4. Most of the guidelines for emergency work apply to non-emergency situations.  The major difference is, you are not under the stress of an emergency.  The locksmith may give you a choice of options based upon your situation.  Make sure you understand the choices and the cost differences.

Let's Be Real

5. When you use a search engine (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc.) to find the service you need, the companies that appear first usually pay the most to either the search engine, or a web expert. This does not mean you will receive the best service, quality work, or a fair price.  It usually means the additional cost of advertising will be passed on to the customer as part of the overhead for running the business.  There was a famous saying by a smart clothing chain that applies to this, and many other situations:

"An Educated Consumer Is Our Best Customer"

Use Your Common Sense
That's One Of The Benefits Of Having A Big Brain