Imagine, you arrive home late after a long day of traveling. You are tired and hungry and the only thing that sounds appealing is leaving your suitcase, still packed, by the front door and melting into your cozy bed. You reach for your house key and… it isn’t in your pocket. You search the car and all your bags, but the best you can remember it is that the key is somewhere miles away, back in your hotel room, and you are stuck outside with no way in. You pull out your cell phone and are relieved when the first Google search result shows a great deal for a $10 locksmith that claims they can be there in a matter of minutes regardless of the time of day. Perfect, you think, but could this offer be too good to be true?

Sadly, the answer is yes; no reputable locksmith can stay in business by charging $10-20 per picked lock. Keep in mind that they have expenses like truck maintenance and repair, gasoline, insurance, licensing, uniforms, etc. The Better Business Bureau receives a large number of complaints about locksmiths on a monthly basis and there are many more that go unreported. Locksmith scams are prevalent and can involve everything from price gouging to offenses as serious as creating duplicate keys in order to rob customers at a later date.

It’s a real concern for tenants, home owners and landlords alike. To help shed more light on this little know issue, we’re excited to welcome Mr. Rekey to guest post on the blog. They have put together the ultimate Locksmith Scam Survival Guide. Inform yourself about the common locksmith scams, warning signs and safety tips, so you won’t have to worry the next time you find yourself in a lockout situation.