BBB Alert: Locksmith Swindle On The Rise

CONSUMER ALERT

Locksmith Swindle on the Rise

· Untrustworthy locksmith companies are ripping off consumers in Memphis

· A local phone number doesn’t always mean a local locksmith

· TN enacted a locksmith licensing program in July 2008

April 9, 2009 – The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of untrustworthy locksmiths operating in the Mid-South. Some “local” locksmith companies are not physically located in the area, but are simply distant call centers that farm the jobs out to unlicensed and unprofessional locksmiths who may end up doing more harm than good.

According to Kara Peifer, West TN Locksmith Association Secretary/Treasurer, a consumer who searches for a locksmith in a yellow pages directory or online may not end up with the local business they think they are contacting. “The local yellow pages directories list over 150 locksmiths in each book,” said Peifer, “and if you search online, you may end up with as many as 850 names of reputed locksmiths in the Memphis area. Many have no physical location here.”

Peifer says that the proliferation of unlicensed locksmiths is one reason that states are beginning to enact locksmith licensing laws. “Nine states have already passed these laws,” Peifer stated. “The TN Locksmith Licensing Program was enacted in July 2008.”

“Unlicensed locksmiths tend to move from state to state, leaving when the heat gets turned up in one location,” said Peifer. Pam Smith, Administrative Assistant with the TN Locksmith Licensing Program agreed.  “We’re seeing this problem all over the state,” Smith said. “It’s everywhere.”

The State of TN requires individual locksmiths to be licensed and locksmith companies to be registered with the state. Additionally, either the license or registration number must be printed on all business cards and advertising. The State of TN has both education and experience requirements for each level of licensing. And persons convicted of fraud or theft are not eligible.

“Because locksmiths are able to access secure areas and data, they could potentially be a Homeland Security threat,” Peifer said. She hopes that public awareness of the locksmith licensing requirements will help protect both consumers and her profession.

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South offers the following tips for hiring a reputable locksmith:

· Check out the company with the BBB, preferably before you need a locksmith’s services.

· Ask the locksmith who shows up for identification and his TN license or registration number.

· Find out if the locksmith is insured to cover any damage incurred during a repair.

· Expect the locksmith to ask you for identification. A legitimate locksmith will confirm your identity and make sure you are the property owner before doing any work.

· Be wary of locksmiths who answer the phone with generic sounding names like “locksmith services”. Always ask for the legal name of the business and its physical location.

· Be wary of locksmiths who arrive in unmarked vehicles. Most legitimate locksmith companies will have vehicles that are clearly marked with the company’s name.

· In case of a lock-out, be cautious if you are told up front that the lock has to be drilled and replaced. An experienced, legitimate locksmith has invested in the tools and education to be able to unlock almost any door.

· If you are a victim of an unscrupulous locksmith, file a complaint with the BBB at bbb.org. Complaints should also be filed with the State of TN Locksmith Licensing Program by calling Pam Smith at 615.532.9170 or online at www.tn.gov/commerce/boards.

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Tel: 901-757-8627

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Email: ncrawford@bbbmidsouth.org

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I received this the other day, and wanted to pass on this very valuable info!

Watch out & be safe!

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

http://www.personalsafetyebook.com

Put Your Keys Beside Your Bed At Night

Greetings,

Today’s great post comes from my friend Jessica, and I want to thank her for allowing me to use it to help keep others safe. Thanks Jess!

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Doctor’s Office, the checkout girl at the market, everyone you run across. Please feel free to pass this blog post to them. However you can do it, please do. Keep them informed with this very simple tip.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get into your house, just press the panic button for your car, providing your car does have an alarm system and you do have the alarm remote.

The alarm will be set off and the horn will continue to sound either until you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.  Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: it’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it.  It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the remote unit.  It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are that the burglar/rapist won’t stick around….after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there, and sure enough the criminal won’t want that!

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

This is something that should really be shared with everyone.  Maybe it could save a life or prevent a sexual assault.

My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn’t hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she’ll know there’s a problem.

P.S…it would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can’t reach a phone.

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

Greetings,

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating this wonderful Holiday today.

I am Thankful that we have our safety & security here in the USA, and my
prayers, and I hope yours goes out to the folks in India that are suffering
from the hands of those evil terrorists.

Continue to pray for all our soldiers, air force, navy and Marine personal
who put themselves in harms way to protect our country, our way of
life, and of course our personal safety and security. Let us all pray that
they will arrive home safely to their loved ones.

God Bless,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

PS…be safe on your travels, and please re-read some of our previous posts on
protecting your personal safety and security. Also, don’t eat to much!

ENJOY Thanksgiving and all we have to be thankful for!

At Last! Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed!

If you are concerned about the safety and security of yourself, your home and your family, then step into the ring and throw a knock-out punch against crime!

Thomas Sherwood; a former Sgt in the United States Marine Corps & owner of Sherwood Locksmithing of La Vergne TN. announces it’s latest online resource; “Personal Safety and Security Secrets…Revealed”, just in time for the holiday’s.

Do you know the 15 biggest mistakes new homeowners make? Do you know how to protect your home while away? Do you know how to select a burglar alarm or how to reduce the crime in your neighborhood?

The answer to these questions and more can be found in “Personal Safety & Security Secrets Revealed.” For over 13 years & 15,337 satisfied customers later, people have come to depend on Sherwood Locksmithing to keep their homes and businesses secure in Middle Tennessee.

“I found that as I was working in peoples homes, they all had numerous questions on how to keep themselves safe and secure”, says Sherwood. “What better way to answer those questions than to compile them all in one resource.”

And compile them he did. In “Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed”, you will find over 40 reports dealing with topics such as home and personal safety issues, keeping your boat safe, safer email’s and much more all for the low investment of just $29.97.

“Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed” is available online at http://www.personalsafetyebook.com and ready for immediate download, even if it’s 3:00am.

To stay in contact with his customers, Sherwood also writes a blog at http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/blog and provides fresh new content on a regular basis.

For More Information Call:

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing
615 355-5886