Trustworthy Locksmiths
There are now dubious locksmith providers all over the world. In Germany, for example, a company has become ingloriously known under the title "Locksmith Mafia". What are the most important criteria for determining whether a locksmith is a reputable provider and how do you find them.
In the emergency that the apartment door has slammed and your pet or child may be helplessly locked in the apartment, many providers know that you can also access it here. Some companies take advantage of this emergency situation.
There are some simple rules by which one can basically judge whether a locksmith is a reputable provider. Both the cost of opening the door or opening the car must be in relation to the working hours. And what you should also pay attention to is that the locksmith is regionally on site. Many call centers take orders from desperate people but do not reveal that they - sometimes deliberately - commission a locksmith partner who is not in the vicinity but has an hour or two to get there. And then at the latest comes the nasty surprise, namely when the locksmith charges five times as much for the journey as for the work on site. This has become a real business model for dubious locksmiths, they do not live from the activity itself, but from the horrendous amounts that are then billed for the journey.
The cost and price level for locksmiths
In order to be able to make a good estimate, one must deal with the industry of key services and key emergency services. Basically, of course, all over the world, a locksmith usually demands more money for the service if it has to be used on public holidays, on weekends, or at night. Nevertheless, you should get a certain feeling for the price level of locksmiths in order to quickly see whether you are getting a serious offer on the phone or online.
In reality, there are no stakes of € 5! No matter how you turn it around, if a locksmith advertises a stake of 5 euros, then this is not a promotion, but usually, the method described above. The door is often opened improperly, possibly even destroyed, so that afterward you can ask for a new lock and new keys or the bill increases rapidly with the travel costs.
Locksmith problems
If you pay close attention to an order for a locksmith - you usually call them by phone in an emergency because there is hardly any time for an online inquiry - you will quickly understand the traps that may lurk behind the order. Here are a few criteria that you can usually look at when researching a telephone number.
Regional key services - lower travel costs
The promise in online advertising for a locksmith nearby is often a promotional ploy. Because the definition in the vicinity is not clear and even if the advertisement says that a certain city is served, then this can also be related to your own position and does not necessarily mean that the locksmith works in the same city or in the same place is. It can also simply be that the locksmith is ready to come to this place or city - and then after 90 minutes of travel time, you will be charged 300 euros for the journey, for an activity that is often already done after 3 minutes.
Little damage to the door
Another criterion is of course that - especially if the door of the apartment or house has just "slammed" - it can be clarified in advance that the apartment door does not have to be damaged. Many locksmiths also actively advertise that they can offer "harmless door opening". If the door is locked, it may even have security locks and you have lost the key, then of course, technically speaking, this promise cannot really be kept. But most locksmith jobs are simply because the door slammed shut and the key was forgotten in the apartment or house. When it comes to opening the door without damage is an important criterion.
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