There are some steps for you to take when you want to know if you are dealing with a reliable and trustworthy locksmith. It can be frustrating when you have dealt with fraudulent locksmiths before, but now it is time to go about it in a more effective and wiser way.
Find an MLA approved locksmith
The locksmith industry is not regulated by law in the United Kingdom. This means anyone can become a locksmith regardless of skill and background. So look for an MLA approved locksmith that will help you avoid any fraudulent locksmiths who are just looking for a way to get a lot of money from you.
MLA stands for Master Locksmiths Association. This association approves only highly trained professionals and its requirements are very strict. When you are dealing with a locksmith that hasn’t been approved by the Master Locksmiths Association, you could potentially be dealing with an unqualified, inexperienced locksmith. Furthermore, to have the certainty that you are not hiring criminals to solve your lock problem, you can be sure that MLA approved members are always DBS checked. You can find an MLA approved locksmith near you at our website.
Word of mouth & references
It is useful to ask people you know very well for a good locksmith. Perhaps they have had a certified locksmith come over at their house in the past to fix a problem. You could ask your family members, colleagues, well-known friends, neighbours to help you out. Certified locksmiths usually build strong relationships with their clients.
Also, it is good to check reliable websites such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and so on for locksmiths that have the best reviews.
National call centre
You should watch out for national call centres when you are searching for a certified locksmith. Usually these organizations give out work to anyone who is available in your area and you are never sure if you are dealing with a fully qualified locksmith. The national call centres don’t always perform a full check concerning the competence of the locksmith and you might end up with an inexperienced technician.
Plus, a locksmith that gets a job from this call centre usually receives only a part of the labour cost. That is why these locksmiths tend to overcharge for the completed labour.
Last but not least, when you are locked out of your house and you need someone who will respond fast, the national call centres will not exactly know how much time will be needed for the locksmith to arrive at your location. The national call centre doesn’t know your area as well as a local locksmith would.
Beware of prices that seem too good to be true
Another thing to pay attention to is a locksmith that has extremely low prices for his services. When you find a locksmith online charging only £49 or £59, you should be concerned. This is unrealistic and you will most probably be charged more at the completion of the job.
When you need Google to find a reliable locksmith
It is important to notice the adverts of locksmiths at the top of the page when you are looking for a locksmith on Google. You should try to avoid these types of adverts. These are usually national call centres that will send you workers from maintenance companies and not from a locksmith company. One should look for a professional locksmith beneath the advert section.