Locksmithing is one of the most prolific industries across the world – and locksmiths can be found in every community, since security is a universal need. However, with all the market saturation of locksmiths everywhere, there’s also many scammers available who will take advantage of people’s trusting nature. Here’s Golden Locksmith‘s guide to facts about locksmiths that bring to light what to be aware of next time you need service.
35 of 50 States don’t Require Locksmith Licenses
Only Alabama, California, Illinois, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia require that locksmiths have official certification. This means that if you’re in any of the other States, you need to be careful with who you hire, as there are many advertised locksmiths who don’t have legitimate training or equipment. Always ask for identification and for them to show you their licenses.
Many Countries have Zero Locksmith Regulation
In many areas of the USA and Canada, locksmiths are required to undergo training and background checks before receiving certification. However, in much of the world, this is not required, so there’s a large amount of scammer locksmiths, or just simply untrained locksmiths around. The countries that DO, however, regulate locksmiths are Poland, Japan, and Hungary.
Some Locksmiths are trained to automatically Replace
Many locksmiths are trained by their supervisors to always drill out and replace locks before providing any other service. Not only is this not always necessary, but it can be quite expensive. Locksmiths are instructed to do so to bring up the price of their services, effectively locking their customers into paying an expensive bill for an uncenecay service. This isn’t to say that lock replacement isn’t always warranted – but if you’re calling a locksmith and they suggest a lock replacement from the start, it’s likely that they’re fishing for dollars rather than really trying to provide you the best solution for your needs that’s possible.
Locksmiths don’t have Standard Pricing
For the most part, many industries have an average, or average range of fluctuating prices. Think about the average prices you get charged at a barbershop or a coffee shop. However, locksmiths don’t have a single average price for their services. Some locksmiths highly inflate the price of their services in order to gouge as much money as possible from their customers. Make sure to work with a locksmith who will set you a fair, flat-rate price that’s not blown up for the service that they are providing you.
Locksmithing is a growing industry
Official studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that the locksmithing industry will grow at least by 12 percent by 2018, when there will be over twenty-four-thousand and eight-hundred locksmiths in the country. This market saturation will make it likely that there will be an equal increase in scammer or junk locksmiths. For customers in need of emergency service, this poses complications. This is why it’s the best practice to maintain the contact information for a single, trustworthy locksmith that you can depend on for stability, and constant availability at any time of the day – like Golden Locksmiths.