Published on August 30th, 2021 | by Ali Dino
0What to Consider When Choosing a Locksmith in Ontario
Getting locked out of your house, your car or basically finding yourself in a situation where either you’ve got a broken key or no key at all can cause you some kind of stress and put you in peril.
If you’re a person situated in Ontario and you realize that you’ve lost the keys to your apartment; common sense would suggest you panic a little and contact an expert with locks. Whether you’re situated in Toronto, Ottawa, or need a Markham locksmith; there are some factors you should consider before contacting one.
Locksmith Scams
There are all sorts of locksmiths scams out there and one of the most disturbing ones are basic criminals posing as an expert to gain access to your vehicle or property to try to rob you off of them. But the most common case would be an untrained, unlicensed fake locksmith who’ll respond to your emergency call and rip you off.
They will act as a locksmith who knows what they are doing and although will get the job “done” will cause damage to the locks to your vehicle or home and will then proceed to charge more money just because you had a bit of an “emergency situation”.
Here is how they tend to deceive innocent people in situations of peril:
Overlook the Situation Because of the Emergency
When people are alarmed, they do not check to see if the locksmith knows what exactly they are doing. So, when they see their lock being busted or drilled, they cannot tell whether it is legit or not. It is always best to check if they have a certified license.
Overpay than What is Necessary
Under the condition when finding yourself locked out of your house or your vehicle, you’re desperate to ensure you fix the situation as soon as possible. This is why people tend to pay any amount necessary just to gain access to their valued assets again.
Trusting Blindly on Google Searches
When you look up relevant locksmiths in your area, you would normally expect google to show up businesses that have brick and mortar shops, businesses that have physical locations give you a sense of authenticity that you are looking up a legit firm that will most definitely solve your problem for you.
That isn’t always the case – Unfortunately some companies are deceptive enough to trick google they have a physical address nearby your area. Either they do not have a real address at all or they trick Google by putting up another firm’s physical address as their own and just simply attach their own business to it.
So, what happens is that you find yourself contacting poorly trained locksmiths who have just a website to portray themselves as “licensed professionals”.
But no sane person would want to find themselves in situations where they overpay or have their locks destroyed by a working amateur. Here are some of the factors you should be considering before you speculate whether someone is actually trying to help you or it’s just another scam trying to take advantage of your situation.
Proof of TAOL Membership
Instead of going in blindly for the very first search that pops up on the google search engine. Whichever locksmith you choose to contact, always check to see or ask for proof of their TAOL membership (The association of Ontario Locksmiths).
This paves for their authenticity and gives you a sense of regard of relief as well knowing you have contacted a professional to do the job.
Assert What is Necessary
If you do not have a highly advanced security lock; then it does need to be destroyed or drilled into since most locks can be picked. Do not allow a locksmith to drill into the lock just because so that they can save some time for themselves.
Ask For a Quote
Before confirming anything over the phone, you are entitled to ask for an estimation from the locksmith. A professional locksmith will give you a quote over the phone, this way you could do some comparison as well to see which locksmith works best for you.
Hence if you ever find yourself in emergency situations where you are in need of a locksmith, move past the stress and carefully speculate for a reputable company best suited for your scenario.