- Report: #262291
Complaint Review: DEPENABLE LOCKS CALL CENTER LOCKSMITH IN NEW YORK CITY. - NEW YORK New York
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DEPENABLE LOCKS CALL CENTER LOCKSMITH IN NEW YORK CITY.
BRONX NEW YORK, New York, U.S.A.
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DEPENABLE LOCKS CALL CENTER LOCKSMITH IN NEW YORK CITY. OVER CHAGES ITS CUSTIMRERS. THEY SEND PHONY LOCKSMITHS TO ALL THE U.S.A. NEW YORK New York
YouNewsTVStory Published: Jul 19, 2007 at 11:10 PM PDT
Story Updated: Jul 20, 2007 at 8:04 PM PDT
By Herb Weisbaum
Listen
Watch the story SEATTLE -- Most locksmiths are honest. A few are not. And if you happen to call one of these disreputable companies your bad day will quickly get worse.
When you lock your keys in the car, or lock yourself out of your house, you'd never call a locksmith in New York. At least, you wouldn't do so intentionally. But that's exactly what will happen if you call some of the companies we found working in the Seattle area.
They're all part of Dependable Lock, based in the Bronx. But you'd never know that, because they pretend to be from here.
The Better Business Bureau says the company is part of a "nationwide locksmith swindle" that's ripping off consumers across the country.
"These guys operate everywhere," said Alison Preszler, spokeswoman with the Council of Better Business Bureaus. "And they've made their business model out of taking advantage of people who are locked out of their house and their car."
Flip through the Seattle Yellow Pages and you may stumble across two full-page ads for Always Ready Locksmith and Quick Locksmith.
Both promise low prices and fast service. The ads don't list an address, but with all the 206 and 425 area codes in their ads, it's reasonable to assume they're both local companies.
They're not. Both are part of Dependable Lock.
Dial any of those numbers and your call is answered at a dispatch center in New York.
"You're quoted a reasonable price," says Preszler, "but when the locksmith arrives, he actually charges two, three, even four times more than what you were quoted."
Put to the test
We wanted to see for ourselves, so we drove to the Northgate park-and-ride lot and had Stephanie, a KOMO intern, deliberately lock her keys in our car, a 2000, four-door Acura sedan. It did not have any special security system.
She called Always Ready Locksmith using the North Seattle number listed in the phone book. Stephanie was quoted "$39 plus $15 and up" to open the car.
So the job would be at least $54, but the dispatcher could not be any more specific than that. Stephanie was told to expect someone within 20 to 30 minutes.
The wait was a lot longer. It took an hour for the locksmith -- a man in an unmarked car and not wearing a uniform -- to arrive.
The first thing he did was tell Stephanie the charge was going to be a lot more than $54. He wanted $114, more money than we were willing to pay.
Stephanie told the locksmith she only had $95 on her, so he offered to drive her to an ATM so she could get more cash.
When Stephanie told him she didn't have an ATM card, the locksmith hesitantly took the $95.
With our hidden cameras rolling, we watched as the so-called locksmith fumbled around trying to get into the car. He didn't appear to have the proper tools, and didn't seem to know what he was doing.
He said his name was Sean, and from start to finish it took him six minutes to get the door open.
After he finished opening the door we got out of our van, which was hidden nearby, and approached the locksmith.
Asked why he charged so much for a simple job Sean replied, "Because it's automatic locks. This is how much it costs."
He said he thought $95 was a fair price. "We give like 20 to 25 minute response, so it's very fair."
I reminded him that it took more than an hour for him to arrive, and he didn't have much to say.
Stephanie said she'd have been outraged if she was a normal customer and was told she needed to pay $114 when she was expecting $54.
Little recourse
Sean said if I wanted more information I could contact the Dependable Locksmith offices in the Bronx.
Sean gave us a receipt for only $39, not the $95 we paid him. That would make it a lot harder to file a complaint.
"These companies have been impossible when it comes to getting refunds, when it comes to answering complaints," Preszler said. "They are absolutely non-responsive."
We got quotes from several reputable Seattle-area companies that offer mobile locksmith service and their price quotes ranged from $50 to $75 to open the locks on the car we used in our test during normal business hours. That's half of what Sean told Stephanie he wanted.
And Sean didn't do a very efficient job. We took the car to the AAA shop in downtown Seattle and one of their service techs was able to open the locked door in just 35 seconds.
Clearly, the locks on our car were no reason for the added service charge Sean said was necessary.
And it isn't easy for a reporter to get them to respond to the allegations of deceptive business practices.
How does Dependable Locks respond to these allegations? The company's attorney did respond to my call, but he would only talk off the record. That's a "no comment."
So our colleagues at WABC-TV in New York went to the Bronx and tried to talk to Dependable Lock. Their reporter had a door slammed in her face.
The Council of Better Business Bureaus says it has received complaints from consumers across the country who say they've been ripped off by Dependable Lock.
So how do you protect yourself? If you're a AAA member, call them. If you're not a member, the agency will refer you to a reputable tow company that can get you in.
Other options include calling your local police department or a friend for a referral.
Just don't pick a name at random out of the phone book. You never know who might show up.
Tips for choosing a locksmith
What's in a name? Unscrupulous individuals often operate under many business names or aliases. They may answer the phone with a generic phrase like, "locksmith service" or simply "locksmith". If the call is answered this way, ask, "What is the legal name of your business."
Unclear advertising: Look closely at the ad(s) in the yellow pages. Is the specific name of the business clearly identified? Does the ad look similar to other ads but have a different name? Does it appear that the dealer actually operates under several names?
Unmarked car: Some legitimate locksmiths will work out of a car or unmarked van for quick jobs, but most should arrive in a service vehicle that is clearly marked with the name of the business.
Ask for identification: A legitimate locksmith should ask for identification and some form of proof that you have the authority to allow the unlocking to be done. A legitimate locksmith should also provide you with identification in the form of a business card or invoice with the company name on it. Identifying information should also match the name on the service vehicle.
Get an estimate: Find out what the work will cost before you authorize it. Never sign a blank form authorizing work.
Demand an invoice: Insist on an itemized invoice. You can't dispute a charge without proof of how much you paid and what you paid for.
Just say no: If you are not comfortable with the service provider, you can, and should, refuse to work with the locksmith.
Source: The Council of Better Business Bureaus
Leland
Montrose, New York
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Sdls2005
San Diego,California,
U.S.A.
It is Dependable not Depenable - Many more consumers would be helped if a second was taken to check spelling...
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, July 25, 2007
Please be aware, the company in this report SHOULD have been named correctly as Dependable Lock, NOT Depenable - Many more consumers would be helped and appropriately warned if a second was taken to check spelling... Please posters, take the time to make the RipOff Report worthwhile to consumers! Additional information regarding Dependable Lock (AKA Superb Solutions AKA Priceline Locksmith, Bronx, NY) BBB Warns Consumers of Nationwide Locksmith Swindle You may have been a victim and not even know it. For Immediate Release Arlington, VA July 10, 2007 The Better Business Bureau (BBB) today is warning consumers to beware of untrustworthy locksmith companies that are ripping off consumers across the country. Victim complaints to the BBB reveal that several locksmith companies, all using similar methods, are significantly overcharging consumers, charging consumers for unnecessary services, using intimidation tactics, and failing to give refunds or respond to consumer complaints. Ironically, these companies operate under names like Dependable Locksmith' but in reality they exploit the vulnerable situation of consumers who are locked out of their house or car, said Steve Cox spokesperson for the BBB System. We've found that some locksmiths have made taking advantage of consumers' misfortune part of their business model. Complaints about locksmith services to the 114 BBBs serving the U.S. increased almost 75 percent from 2005 to 2006, and have continued to come in steadily during the first half of this year. The BBB has identified Dependable Locksmith which operates under more than a dozen different names as a particularly disreputable locksmith. This company poses as a local locksmith in cities across the country and advertises in the yellow pages using local phone numbers and fake local addresses. A consumer might think they're dealing with a local locksmith but their phone call is actually connected to a call center located in the Bronx borough of New York City. Consumers are quoted a reasonable price over the phone but when the locksmith arrives typically in an unmarked vehicle he demands significantly more money than originally quoted, often only accepting cash. A complaint from Cleveland, OH, where Dependable Locksmith was operating under the name Superb Solutions, alleges the company quoted fees of $39 and $84 for separate jobs, but the bill ended up at $471, which included add-on fees such as a $65 breaking in fee and a $58 fee to uninstall old locks. Another complainant reported that the locksmith sent to let her into her car demanded she pay twice the price quoted over the phone. The locksmith offered to drive her to an ATM to get cash feeling unsafe the victim refused. The victim was ultimately forced to write a check made out personally to the locksmith as he would not let her into her car until she did so. She cancelled payment on the check the next morning, but eventually filed a police report after the locksmith harassed her with continuous phone calls about payment. The BBB has also heard many complaints from victims who say they were charged for unnecessary services. For example, complainants suspect locksmiths sent over by Dependable Locksmiths of pretending they couldn't simply pick the lock so that they could charge more and install all new locks in homes. Some of Dependable Locksmith's aliases include, Superb Solutions, Locksmith 24 Hour, Inc., USA Total Security, Priceline Locksmith, and S.O.S. Locksmith. Two other locksmith contractors fleecing consumers are Basad, Inc. which operates under more than 50 names nationwide, such as A-1 Locksmith Service, A-1 24 Hour Locksmith, A-1 Lock & Key Locksmith, and AAA Locksmith 24 Hour and Liberty Locksmith. Similar to Dependable Locksmith, they pose as local locksmiths and run full-page yellow pages ads with multiple phone and address listings. The phone numbers appear to be local, but connect to national call centers such as Liberty's in New York City, while the addresses end up belonging to other established businesses in the local area, or are simply non-existent. Liberty Locksmith had been a BBB member in Tulsa, OK, but during normal BBB member validation processes, it was discovered that the addresses provided by the company were false. In June 2007, the BBB terminated the membership of Liberty Locksmith for providing false information in its membership application and providing misleading advertisements to the public. Like others, Liberty Locksmith and Basad, Inc. use common cons such as quoting one price over the phone, but then charging significantly more on site. These companies are very good at posing as trustworthy locksmiths, said Mr. Cox. Before you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being locked out of your car or house, do your research and find a truly dependable locksmith in your area. Ask around and always check with the BBB first to find reputable businesses. If you feel you've been taken advantage of by Dependable Locksmith, Liberty Locksmith, Basad. Inc., or others, please contact the BBB to file a complaint, or do so online at www.bbb.org. # # # http://www.bbb.org/alerts/article.asp?ID=773
