There is a considerable amount of people out there who seem to know a thing or two about picking locks and all of a sudden they’re calling themselves locksmiths. They can instantly and effortlessly pick locks, and tell you that they are professional locksmiths. Surprisingly, some of them do a pretty good job, and they make a living doing that.
But the reality is that the rate of Burglary and break-ins incidents are becoming too frequent in the UK, that most break-ins happen through unlocked doors and windows, or they break in through less secure locks, and keys.
So before you decide to spend a large amount of money at a local locksmith or any locksmith company to fit a lock, rekey a lock, open or unlock a door, or provide you with any other locksmith services there is, it is advisable that you know a thing or two about locksmiths and how to spot good ones or at least legit ones.
Ways to find or know a good locksmith
Paying with credit card
If you call out a locksmith for their services, and after they have completed the job, the majority of locksmiths accept payment via credit cards. So if you call out a locksmith and you want to know if they’re good, or legit, suggest paying with your credit card instead of cash. A licensed professional locksmith never turns down a payment request via credit card.
Conversely, you should not pay a locksmith with cash. That way, the money cannot be traced, and if the money cannot be traced, it means there’s very little chance of running into that particular locksmith again in case you notice a flop in their work after they’re gone.
It’s one reason why we always advise you to use a professional company locksmith, as you can always make enquiries to the companies, even if you can’t get in touch with the particular locksmith that came out, your complaint will, however, be resolved.
Hire a specialist locksmith
You might ask yourself, “what is a specialist locksmith?” A specialist locksmith is like a regular locksmith, only that he specialises in a particular area, and he excels in that area more than any other. So what we mean is, look for a locksmith that has the actual qualities you’re looking for. You could need the assistance of a locksmith for your vehicle, safe, door, lock or key, etc.
Each of these areas might require a particular area of specialisation. Some locksmiths specialise in handling vehicles. Some handle locks, some handle doors, and some only arrive at a scene where there is a safety issue. And some are good with and specialise in more than one area.
We recommend you keep a shortlist of locksmiths that are good at handling whatever it is you want them to fix. After that, never again will you have to worry about calling out a random locksmith for a job.
Once you’ve identified these prospects you want to work with, you can then commence the process of bringing it down to a company, or individual that you trust to do a good job, and maintain your security as well as your privacy.
Read: How Much Do Locksmiths Charge Per Hour – UK
Perform a background check
This might seem like going too far, but to be certain you’re hiring a good professional locksmith to come to your house, the place where your family sleeps to work, it’s best to make sure they have a clean history and background. Any discrepancies and criminal records related to the law are matters you should be concerned about.
Therefore, you could run a quick background check on the locksmith you plan on calling out to confirm if they have any criminal record(s). However, this step of finding a good locksmith isn’t really necessary if you live alone and don’t have a lot of valuables to protect. But if you have tons of valuable properties, and a family, then you should do a background check to find the best locksmith for you.
Also, this step is necessary because some locksmiths with past criminal records such as theft or robbery might be in the business with the hopes of committing a crime again.
Read: What Should You Do If You Lose Your House Keys
Conclusion
One of the best ways in which you can get a good locksmith to trust is by meeting them one on one. Don’t just accept any online contracts that promise you the best locksmith. If you can, you should walk into any locksmith workshop or business place and discuss the terms of the work with them face to face.
Conversely, any locksmith without a workshop or company should not be trusted. Not having a business place is a trick most fake locksmiths use to avoid staying in one place.
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