To protect your safety when hiring a locksmith, be sure to check the locksmith's identification before allowing him or her to enter your home. Several states, including Texas, Illinois, California, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and New Jersey, require locksmiths to be professionally licensed. Ask to see your locksmith's license.
Before you hire a locksmith, research his background. You need to be sure that you're not going to hire someone that doesn't have your best interest in mind. Some will make their own copy of your key so they can rip you off later on.
Do not trust a locksmith that gives you a quote that is far less than any others you have contacted. In some cases, this is done with the intention of reeling you in. Once they begin to service you, they will start to add on additional fees for things like paperwork and the fuel they used to get to where you are.
If you get a price by phone and they try to charge you more when they arrive, tell them you won't utilize their services again. You need to hire someone who is honest.
In most states, locksmiths are required to have insurance. Ask to see proof of any policies before they start doing any work. You want to make sure that you are covered in case they do a shoddy job and someone gains unauthorized access to your home. Do not allow a low price to make you overlook this.
Contact the Better Business Bureau before hiring a locksmith to make sure that they have not had a lot of complaints. While there is nothing abnormal about having a couple, a pattern shows that this person is not reliable. It is best to know this about them before trusting them to help you with a lock.
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