Reporter Mariann Martin of the Jackson Sun has reported that retired Marine and locksmith Troy Mitchell, 44, has died leaving behind a wife and seven sons. To read the entire story, go to:
http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910310305
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tennessee locksmith in critical condition after being robbed and shot in the face
The Jackson Sun has published a lengthy story on Jackson, TN locksmith, Troy Mitchell, who was shot in the face Wednesday at 10 a.m. while working on a car parked in an apartment complex. For more information and photos of the crime, Mitchell’s life, family and business, what police think happened, reactions from his fellow locksmiths and how to help his family, go to:
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/910290304/Locksmith+shot++condition+critical
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/910290304/Locksmith+shot++condition+critical
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Locksmiths should get listed with ALOA, LegalLocksmiths.com and/or local associations
I significantly changed my website, http://www.find-a-legit-locksmith.com/, this week by removing all the locksmith listings and I’ll eventually take the site totally down. I had originally created the site by listing, for no charge, all the locksmiths that had registered for a business license. Any locksmith who wanted to add their phone number and website could pay an annual fee.
I had assumed the “locksmith” scammers had not and would not bother to get a business license. I was wrong.
According to Larry Friberg, co-founder of LegalLocksmiths.com, phony locksmiths are now obtaining business licenses and then attempting (unsuccessfully) to use them to gain membership with his organization. Friberg and his partner do a comprehensive background check on those who apply and lists those who qualify.
Since I didn’t have the time or resources to verify how credible my listings were, I removed them and linked both my site and my blog to LegalLocksmiths.com at http://www.legallocksmiths.com/ and ALOA’s (Associated Locksmiths of America) site which lists locksmiths at http://www.findalocksmith.com/.
While LegalLocksmiths.com charges $25 for membership (which pays for the background check), the only benefit is getting listed on their website and, at the same time, supporting their mission to combat this national scourge of phony locksmiths.
According to ALOA’s website, membership costs $195 annually plus a $50 application fee. Membership includes a free bond, discounts on services, education, supplies and conference fees and a monthly magazine. While ALOA’s background check may not be as extensive the one as LegalLocksmiths.com does, they do require a recommendation from a sponsoring locksmith member. ALOA’s fees may be out of reach for the average locksmith right now especially while locksmiths endure the double-whammy of a down economy and losing significant market share to phony locksmiths. Still, locksmiths should consider membership.
Local locksmith associations also do a great job backgrounding and listing legitimate locksmiths. Unfortunately, most of the association websites I’ve seen are not user-friendly so it’s difficult for the average consumer to easily find a locksmith. In addition, most association names are not SEO-friendly (Search Engine Optimization) which means associations don’t show up early on an Internet search. ALOA and LegalLocksmiths.com have both user-friendly and SEO-friendly websites.
Discouraging news
Friberg, a former law enforcement officer, and his partner, by the way, are really sticking their necks out by standing up to this major threat to the locksmith industry. According to published news reports, local and federal police agencies believe the phony locksmiths (hired by call-center owners), are connected to organized crime, started in Chicago, have been entrenched in the U.S. for more than 12 years and are here for the long haul. It's a very serious situation. Local law enforcement are helpful and some state attorney generals are beginning to file lawsuits against the call-center owners, but federal agencies such as the FBI and Homeland Security are pouring resources into terrorist threats much to the neglect of domestic problems. Unfortunately, anyone who does stand up to this scourge can expect to be either sued, face the threat of being sued, receive death threats or all of the above.
According to news stories, there are about 6 to 8 call centers around the country including one in Florida. (See my April 5th blog post “Missouri Attorney General sues Florida Locksmith Company.”) It’s estimated that these call centers each average 400+ JOBS A DAY!!! That is more than 12,000 per month and is a HUGE loss to local locksmiths around the state.
The best thing locksmiths can do, besides educating the public, is to encourage those who are on the frontlines of the battle such as LegalLocksmiths.com by supporting them and, of course, pray for their safety along with anyone else who stands up against the scamming call-center owners. The $25 a year fee is not too much to ask to support them while at the same time enhancing one’s own credentials. Locksmiths should, of course, get involved with their local and national associations.
I had assumed the “locksmith” scammers had not and would not bother to get a business license. I was wrong.
According to Larry Friberg, co-founder of LegalLocksmiths.com, phony locksmiths are now obtaining business licenses and then attempting (unsuccessfully) to use them to gain membership with his organization. Friberg and his partner do a comprehensive background check on those who apply and lists those who qualify.
Since I didn’t have the time or resources to verify how credible my listings were, I removed them and linked both my site and my blog to LegalLocksmiths.com at http://www.legallocksmiths.com/ and ALOA’s (Associated Locksmiths of America) site which lists locksmiths at http://www.findalocksmith.com/.
While LegalLocksmiths.com charges $25 for membership (which pays for the background check), the only benefit is getting listed on their website and, at the same time, supporting their mission to combat this national scourge of phony locksmiths.
According to ALOA’s website, membership costs $195 annually plus a $50 application fee. Membership includes a free bond, discounts on services, education, supplies and conference fees and a monthly magazine. While ALOA’s background check may not be as extensive the one as LegalLocksmiths.com does, they do require a recommendation from a sponsoring locksmith member. ALOA’s fees may be out of reach for the average locksmith right now especially while locksmiths endure the double-whammy of a down economy and losing significant market share to phony locksmiths. Still, locksmiths should consider membership.
Local locksmith associations also do a great job backgrounding and listing legitimate locksmiths. Unfortunately, most of the association websites I’ve seen are not user-friendly so it’s difficult for the average consumer to easily find a locksmith. In addition, most association names are not SEO-friendly (Search Engine Optimization) which means associations don’t show up early on an Internet search. ALOA and LegalLocksmiths.com have both user-friendly and SEO-friendly websites.
Discouraging news
Friberg, a former law enforcement officer, and his partner, by the way, are really sticking their necks out by standing up to this major threat to the locksmith industry. According to published news reports, local and federal police agencies believe the phony locksmiths (hired by call-center owners), are connected to organized crime, started in Chicago, have been entrenched in the U.S. for more than 12 years and are here for the long haul. It's a very serious situation. Local law enforcement are helpful and some state attorney generals are beginning to file lawsuits against the call-center owners, but federal agencies such as the FBI and Homeland Security are pouring resources into terrorist threats much to the neglect of domestic problems. Unfortunately, anyone who does stand up to this scourge can expect to be either sued, face the threat of being sued, receive death threats or all of the above.
According to news stories, there are about 6 to 8 call centers around the country including one in Florida. (See my April 5th blog post “Missouri Attorney General sues Florida Locksmith Company.”) It’s estimated that these call centers each average 400+ JOBS A DAY!!! That is more than 12,000 per month and is a HUGE loss to local locksmiths around the state.
The best thing locksmiths can do, besides educating the public, is to encourage those who are on the frontlines of the battle such as LegalLocksmiths.com by supporting them and, of course, pray for their safety along with anyone else who stands up against the scamming call-center owners. The $25 a year fee is not too much to ask to support them while at the same time enhancing one’s own credentials. Locksmiths should, of course, get involved with their local and national associations.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Can extended code classes open new markets for locksmiths?
The Door and Hardware Institute (DHI) has been holding a convention in the Orlando/Kissimmee area for the last two weeks. I went mainly to find some answers about the fire and life safety code classes taught by the institute.
Code knowledge is an important topic since it’s just good business sense for locksmiths who do commercial work. No one wants to be responsible for someone’s death or injury due to improper hardware they installed.
In addition, state legislators developing locksmith laws have been including continuing education classes and specifying classes in fire and life safety codes knowledge.
DHI’s Director of Technical Services Keith E. Pardoe wrote a guide for AHJs (Authority Having Jurisdiction) entitled, Swinging Fire Doors with Builder’s Hardware. In it he writes that codes are documents designed to ensure buildings are constructed and properly maintained to protect the lives and property of occupants in all types of facilities, be it residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or recreational.
DHI offers a separate certification to become a fire door assembly inspector (FDAI) in a program that encourages annual inspections. Based on an 80-point inspection requirement, DHI provides those who complete the class with an Inspection Report form to use when doing inspections. Building owners will be able to keep the paperwork on file to show they are in compliance with code requirements.
Pardoe, who I had the opportunity to interview at the convention, believes it would be a good fit for locksmiths. After all, who better to first alert a customer to a fire and life safety issue than a locksmith instead of any number of AHJs including building or fire inspectors or code enforcement officers?
According to Pardoe, only about 5 or 6 locksmiths per year out of 600 annual participants take any of their classes. Those who do generally take classes related to electrified hardware instead of a code class. DHI’s 24-hour class Using Codes and Standards cost $1,050 for members and $1,305 for non-members. The fire door assembly inspector class costs $2245 for members and $2745 for non-members. Prerequisites to taking the class are 4 other DHI courses. Initial membership in DHI for individuals is about $500 for various fees, but only $250 per year to renew.
The least expensive way for commercial locksmiths to obtain this necessary knowledge is through a local locksmith association. Local associations can contact Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) Education Coordinator Kerry Eppler to set up their 8-hour code training session. Eppler said ALOA acts as a liaison for locksmith associations by providing qualified trainers and materials. When asked about pricing, she said, ALOA charges the association for the trainer’s fee, plus travel and accommodations and course materials. Prices can vary according to those expenses. The locksmith association, in turn, sets the price for the course contingent upon what ALOA charges and any other expenses the association may incur such as renting facilities, etc. Eppler gave an example of an upcoming 8-hour fire and life safety course for the New Mexico Locksmith Association. The class costs $150 for members ($170 for non-members), plus $45 for the book.
ALOA’s 8-hour class no doubt meets the necessary criteria for continuing education and knowledge that an average commercial locksmith would need. Pardoe’s mention, however, of the FDAI certification may open up an untapped market for locksmiths who invest the time and money to acquire the certification.
For more information about DHI’s programs, go to http://www.dhi.org/. For more information about ALOA’s programs, go to http://www.aloa.org/.
Code knowledge is an important topic since it’s just good business sense for locksmiths who do commercial work. No one wants to be responsible for someone’s death or injury due to improper hardware they installed.
In addition, state legislators developing locksmith laws have been including continuing education classes and specifying classes in fire and life safety codes knowledge.
DHI’s Director of Technical Services Keith E. Pardoe wrote a guide for AHJs (Authority Having Jurisdiction) entitled, Swinging Fire Doors with Builder’s Hardware. In it he writes that codes are documents designed to ensure buildings are constructed and properly maintained to protect the lives and property of occupants in all types of facilities, be it residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or recreational.
DHI offers a separate certification to become a fire door assembly inspector (FDAI) in a program that encourages annual inspections. Based on an 80-point inspection requirement, DHI provides those who complete the class with an Inspection Report form to use when doing inspections. Building owners will be able to keep the paperwork on file to show they are in compliance with code requirements.
Pardoe, who I had the opportunity to interview at the convention, believes it would be a good fit for locksmiths. After all, who better to first alert a customer to a fire and life safety issue than a locksmith instead of any number of AHJs including building or fire inspectors or code enforcement officers?
According to Pardoe, only about 5 or 6 locksmiths per year out of 600 annual participants take any of their classes. Those who do generally take classes related to electrified hardware instead of a code class. DHI’s 24-hour class Using Codes and Standards cost $1,050 for members and $1,305 for non-members. The fire door assembly inspector class costs $2245 for members and $2745 for non-members. Prerequisites to taking the class are 4 other DHI courses. Initial membership in DHI for individuals is about $500 for various fees, but only $250 per year to renew.
The least expensive way for commercial locksmiths to obtain this necessary knowledge is through a local locksmith association. Local associations can contact Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) Education Coordinator Kerry Eppler to set up their 8-hour code training session. Eppler said ALOA acts as a liaison for locksmith associations by providing qualified trainers and materials. When asked about pricing, she said, ALOA charges the association for the trainer’s fee, plus travel and accommodations and course materials. Prices can vary according to those expenses. The locksmith association, in turn, sets the price for the course contingent upon what ALOA charges and any other expenses the association may incur such as renting facilities, etc. Eppler gave an example of an upcoming 8-hour fire and life safety course for the New Mexico Locksmith Association. The class costs $150 for members ($170 for non-members), plus $45 for the book.
ALOA’s 8-hour class no doubt meets the necessary criteria for continuing education and knowledge that an average commercial locksmith would need. Pardoe’s mention, however, of the FDAI certification may open up an untapped market for locksmiths who invest the time and money to acquire the certification.
For more information about DHI’s programs, go to http://www.dhi.org/. For more information about ALOA’s programs, go to http://www.aloa.org/.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Locksmiths break in and burglarize storage facilities and businesses
Alabama master locksmith, Stephen Chitwood, 50, admitted to police to burglarizing storage facilities in three states since October 2008 when he lost his job according to reporter Deborah Buckhalter with www.jcfloridan.com. Chitwood, who sold the items at a local flea market, said he’d take his dog with him to act as his lookout when he hit the storage facilities once or twice a week in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
The Marianna (FL) Police Department cracked the case when they investigated the burglary of one of the storage facilities located next door to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Since the facility was within the city limits, Marianna PD sent officers to Alabama and spoke with Chitwood who admitted his crimes. Lt. Francis Davis of Marianna PD said the man was cooperative.
Authorities in Houston County, Ala. where the locksmith lives are holding a semi-tractor trailer full of items he took from various places while police in several jurisdictions look for additional victims.
Chitwood was not working as a locksmith when he lost his job, but was in another line of work. According to personnel at the Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure which licenses locksmiths, Chitwood had never registered as a locksmith. Locksmith laws came into effect in Alabama in 2007. Whether he couldn’t afford the initial cost of getting a license (about $500 total) or just not been able to pass a criminal background check, it looks like he won’t be passing one in the future.
In a separate incident and for the second time, a locksmith van was seen leaving a Penngrove, Calif. business that had been burglarized. A cleaning woman who arrived as the van was leaving, called the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to report the ATM machine inside the Penngrove Pub had been broken in to.
According to Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Glenn Lawrence, a total of $1,200 was taken from the ATM, cash register and office. Lawrence said the case is an ongoing investigation and they are looking at the surveillance video to see if they can further identify the ski-masked burglar. Besides the mask and ski-vest, the video shows him to be a short, white male.
LeRae Meadows, who covered the story for EmpireReport.com, interviewed a former law enforcement official who believed the burglar was “an obvious professional” due to his ease with opening the exit door without leaving any evidence of a break-in and his ability to drill open the ATM.
Lawrence, however, said, “I wouldn’t say it was an obvious professional. What is obvious is that someone had some knowledge of that machine and how to defeat it.”
According to Meadows’ reports, the Penngrove business community has had 4 burglaries all on Main Street in the last few months. After another one of the burglaries, a Main Street business owner had also reported seeing a suspicious locksmith van in the area.
For more information or to read Meadows’ stories, go to:
Penngrove robbery fourth in town
http://empirereport.org/reports/20090804-penngrove-pub-robbery-fourth-in-town
Penngrove community fears further robberies
http://empirereport.org/reports/20090805-penngrove-community-fears-further-robberies-as-further-details-come-out
For more information or to read Buckhalter’s story, go to:
http://www2.jcfloridan.com/jcf/news/local/article/locksmith_turned_burglar_charged/86420
The Marianna (FL) Police Department cracked the case when they investigated the burglary of one of the storage facilities located next door to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Since the facility was within the city limits, Marianna PD sent officers to Alabama and spoke with Chitwood who admitted his crimes. Lt. Francis Davis of Marianna PD said the man was cooperative.
Authorities in Houston County, Ala. where the locksmith lives are holding a semi-tractor trailer full of items he took from various places while police in several jurisdictions look for additional victims.
Chitwood was not working as a locksmith when he lost his job, but was in another line of work. According to personnel at the Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure which licenses locksmiths, Chitwood had never registered as a locksmith. Locksmith laws came into effect in Alabama in 2007. Whether he couldn’t afford the initial cost of getting a license (about $500 total) or just not been able to pass a criminal background check, it looks like he won’t be passing one in the future.
In a separate incident and for the second time, a locksmith van was seen leaving a Penngrove, Calif. business that had been burglarized. A cleaning woman who arrived as the van was leaving, called the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to report the ATM machine inside the Penngrove Pub had been broken in to.
According to Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Glenn Lawrence, a total of $1,200 was taken from the ATM, cash register and office. Lawrence said the case is an ongoing investigation and they are looking at the surveillance video to see if they can further identify the ski-masked burglar. Besides the mask and ski-vest, the video shows him to be a short, white male.
LeRae Meadows, who covered the story for EmpireReport.com, interviewed a former law enforcement official who believed the burglar was “an obvious professional” due to his ease with opening the exit door without leaving any evidence of a break-in and his ability to drill open the ATM.
Lawrence, however, said, “I wouldn’t say it was an obvious professional. What is obvious is that someone had some knowledge of that machine and how to defeat it.”
According to Meadows’ reports, the Penngrove business community has had 4 burglaries all on Main Street in the last few months. After another one of the burglaries, a Main Street business owner had also reported seeing a suspicious locksmith van in the area.
For more information or to read Meadows’ stories, go to:
Penngrove robbery fourth in town
http://empirereport.org/reports/20090804-penngrove-pub-robbery-fourth-in-town
Penngrove community fears further robberies
http://empirereport.org/reports/20090805-penngrove-community-fears-further-robberies-as-further-details-come-out
For more information or to read Buckhalter’s story, go to:
http://www2.jcfloridan.com/jcf/news/local/article/locksmith_turned_burglar_charged/86420
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Oregon next state to lock out 1-800-LocksmithScammers
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, (D), has about 30 days to sign into law a bill that will create a Board of Locksmiths to oversee and license the state’s estimated 2,000 legitimate locksmiths and to combat untrained sub-contractors from posing as such.
The sub-contractors, working for call centers, defraud consumers with shoddy workmanship and bait-and-switch schemes. They have overwhelmed the phone directories and Internet with hundreds (and thousands) of bogus business listings. Unknowingly consumers have called the imposters thinking they were calling a legitimate locksmith.
According to the bill, the Board would be established within the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) that now licenses locksmith businesses but not individuals. The new Board would adopt rules concerning the passing of a competency test, background and fingerprint checks, continuing education standards, fees and penalties for violations – all with a deadline of July 1, 2010. Until then the CCB must make locksmith certification available no later than Jan. 1, 2010.
Ernie Blatz is licensed by the CCB. He is also the President of the Pacific Locksmith Association (PLA), owner of Ernie’s Locks and Keys in The Dalles and has been in the field more than 20 years. He said the PLA has a membership of 70-80 locksmiths from 4 states: Oregon, (South West) Washington, Idaho and (Northern) California.
Blatz said one problem with being licensed with the CCB was that all the continuing education is geared toward contractors. “We just want to be able to get accredited classes through the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA),” he said.
“It wasn’t just the 1-800-LocksmithScammer that was the problem,” said Republican State Representative John Huffman, who sponsored the bill. “There are very serious breaches of security going on and the consumer doesn’t even realize there is a problem.”
Huffman cited the following case relayed to him by a locksmith who had been hired to rekey a 12-unit apartment complex. For many years, the manager rekeyed and maintained the lock system at the complex. The locksmith, however, discovered the pinning system was flawed. Every laundry room key, which the tenants each had, was actually also a master key to the entire complex.
Huffman feels confident the governor will sign the bill, if not; the process to pass a locksmith law will begin next March 2010 when the Oregon legislature meets again.
As of today’s post the bill was not signed. However, Jillian Schoene, the Governor’s Deputy Communications Director, said she expected the bill to be signed within the next few weeks.
The sub-contractors, working for call centers, defraud consumers with shoddy workmanship and bait-and-switch schemes. They have overwhelmed the phone directories and Internet with hundreds (and thousands) of bogus business listings. Unknowingly consumers have called the imposters thinking they were calling a legitimate locksmith.
According to the bill, the Board would be established within the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) that now licenses locksmith businesses but not individuals. The new Board would adopt rules concerning the passing of a competency test, background and fingerprint checks, continuing education standards, fees and penalties for violations – all with a deadline of July 1, 2010. Until then the CCB must make locksmith certification available no later than Jan. 1, 2010.
Ernie Blatz is licensed by the CCB. He is also the President of the Pacific Locksmith Association (PLA), owner of Ernie’s Locks and Keys in The Dalles and has been in the field more than 20 years. He said the PLA has a membership of 70-80 locksmiths from 4 states: Oregon, (South West) Washington, Idaho and (Northern) California.
Blatz said one problem with being licensed with the CCB was that all the continuing education is geared toward contractors. “We just want to be able to get accredited classes through the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA),” he said.
“It wasn’t just the 1-800-LocksmithScammer that was the problem,” said Republican State Representative John Huffman, who sponsored the bill. “There are very serious breaches of security going on and the consumer doesn’t even realize there is a problem.”
Huffman cited the following case relayed to him by a locksmith who had been hired to rekey a 12-unit apartment complex. For many years, the manager rekeyed and maintained the lock system at the complex. The locksmith, however, discovered the pinning system was flawed. Every laundry room key, which the tenants each had, was actually also a master key to the entire complex.
Huffman feels confident the governor will sign the bill, if not; the process to pass a locksmith law will begin next March 2010 when the Oregon legislature meets again.
As of today’s post the bill was not signed. However, Jillian Schoene, the Governor’s Deputy Communications Director, said she expected the bill to be signed within the next few weeks.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Reality show casting for family-run locksmith business, deadline 7/24/09
A major television production company is conducting a nationwide search for an outgoing family-run locksmith business for a new reality TV show. The show would be similar to The Learning Channel’s (TLC) American Chopper series of a family-run custom motorcycle business.
According to the casting call posted on RealityWanted.com applicants must have at least 2 family members aged 25 – 45 working at the business full-time and who are not afraid to be themselves.
The ad states “We look forward to hearing your craziest stories, from naked people locked out of their houses to cracking safes when people forget their combination. Surprise us.”
To find out more about the casting call, go to www.realitywanted.com. You can register for free as a fan or a “star,” to read what scant additional information there is. However, to apply and find out who the casting director is, you must subscribe and pay a $3.99 a month fee (can cancel at any time) AND post personal information (height, weight, gender, education and upload at least one photo). Once you apply for the casting call, other website members can read your profile and vote for whichever applicant they think is best for the position.
I stopped just short of posting personal information trying to find out more details like which company had posted the ad. (No, I was not applying!) The RealityWanted.com website states that “they cannot answer questions about the casting process for particular shows posted since they are posted by casting companies not by RealityWanted.com.” They suggest contacting the casting director who posted the notice.
Deadline to apply is July 24, 2009. Excuse me while I go cancel my subscription.
According to the casting call posted on RealityWanted.com applicants must have at least 2 family members aged 25 – 45 working at the business full-time and who are not afraid to be themselves.
The ad states “We look forward to hearing your craziest stories, from naked people locked out of their houses to cracking safes when people forget their combination. Surprise us.”
To find out more about the casting call, go to www.realitywanted.com. You can register for free as a fan or a “star,” to read what scant additional information there is. However, to apply and find out who the casting director is, you must subscribe and pay a $3.99 a month fee (can cancel at any time) AND post personal information (height, weight, gender, education and upload at least one photo). Once you apply for the casting call, other website members can read your profile and vote for whichever applicant they think is best for the position.
I stopped just short of posting personal information trying to find out more details like which company had posted the ad. (No, I was not applying!) The RealityWanted.com website states that “they cannot answer questions about the casting process for particular shows posted since they are posted by casting companies not by RealityWanted.com.” They suggest contacting the casting director who posted the notice.
Deadline to apply is July 24, 2009. Excuse me while I go cancel my subscription.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Only 5% of locksmiths listed in 3 Central Florida phone directories are legitimate, 15% for a 1-page Internet search
Dell Sterling, a Colorado locksmith, was interviewed for a story on locksmith fraud by Denver Post reporter Anthony Bowe. According to Sterling, up to three-fourths of the locksmith listings in phone and internet directories are from a handful of shady firms operating under dozens of names and phone numbers.
That means he believes 25 percent of locksmiths listed are legitimate. I think his number is high especially when he’s including Internet listings. But not having seen any of Denver’s phone directories, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
I have, however, seen the three phone directories in Central Florida published by Embarq, AT&T and Verizon. With a total 1791 locksmith listings and only 88 legitimately registered locksmiths, that’s a rate of 5 percent. However, since all the legitimate locksmiths are listed at least once in each directory that would bring the total rate to about 15 percent, if you look in all 3 books and who’s going to do that?
As for the Internet, I checked every link on the first page of a Google search for a locksmith in my own city of Altamonte Springs. There are 31 ads and listings – only 5 locksmith listings are legitimately registered in Seminole or Orange County. So that breaks down to about a rate of 16 percent for the Internet.
My survey broke down as follows for the 31 ads/listings:
Legit - Position of ads/listing on 1st page of Google search
0 --- Top 3 Featured Google ads were all bogus or call centers
1 --- Only 1 of the 10 map ads (A-J) lead to a legitimate locksmith
2 --- Only 2 of the 8 side ads were legit, plus there was 1 school, 1 directory
2 --- 10 listings: 2 legitimate locksmiths, 4 directories, 4 bogus locksmiths
The 4 directory ads led to the same process over again - bogus and legitimate locksmith ads and listings together. Will discuss the directories in another blog.
Two of the questionable locksmith ads actually had local Altamonte addresses, so my husband and I went on a field trip. The first locksmith had the name 24 Hour 1 Day Altamonte Springs Emergency Locksmith. (Geez, don’t think you could squeeze in any more keywords into that name.) Their address on Miller Drive was actually a restaurant supply company that had never heard of them.
The second locksmith, Mack’s Locksmith Service, was legit until December when his state and county registrations ran out. We called the owner Bob Jacko when we couldn't find his street location. He told us it was the address for his storage unit. Jacko is legally registered in Orange County as Bob Jacko Locksmith in Apopka. Since Seminole County is a reciprocal county, Jacko's Orange County registration is perfectly legal.
That means he believes 25 percent of locksmiths listed are legitimate. I think his number is high especially when he’s including Internet listings. But not having seen any of Denver’s phone directories, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
I have, however, seen the three phone directories in Central Florida published by Embarq, AT&T and Verizon. With a total 1791 locksmith listings and only 88 legitimately registered locksmiths, that’s a rate of 5 percent. However, since all the legitimate locksmiths are listed at least once in each directory that would bring the total rate to about 15 percent, if you look in all 3 books and who’s going to do that?
As for the Internet, I checked every link on the first page of a Google search for a locksmith in my own city of Altamonte Springs. There are 31 ads and listings – only 5 locksmith listings are legitimately registered in Seminole or Orange County. So that breaks down to about a rate of 16 percent for the Internet.
My survey broke down as follows for the 31 ads/listings:
Legit - Position of ads/listing on 1st page of Google search
0 --- Top 3 Featured Google ads were all bogus or call centers
1 --- Only 1 of the 10 map ads (A-J) lead to a legitimate locksmith
2 --- Only 2 of the 8 side ads were legit, plus there was 1 school, 1 directory
2 --- 10 listings: 2 legitimate locksmiths, 4 directories, 4 bogus locksmiths
The 4 directory ads led to the same process over again - bogus and legitimate locksmith ads and listings together. Will discuss the directories in another blog.
Two of the questionable locksmith ads actually had local Altamonte addresses, so my husband and I went on a field trip. The first locksmith had the name 24 Hour 1 Day Altamonte Springs Emergency Locksmith. (Geez, don’t think you could squeeze in any more keywords into that name.) Their address on Miller Drive was actually a restaurant supply company that had never heard of them.
The second locksmith, Mack’s Locksmith Service, was legit until December when his state and county registrations ran out. We called the owner Bob Jacko when we couldn't find his street location. He told us it was the address for his storage unit. Jacko is legally registered in Orange County as Bob Jacko Locksmith in Apopka. Since Seminole County is a reciprocal county, Jacko's Orange County registration is perfectly legal.
Friday, June 5, 2009
“Locksmith” uses bogus job ad as new marketing strategy
It’s always bothered me when legitimate locksmiths use several bogus names and websites to draw people to their service. I use the online name A-Florida-Locksmith.com on our website but say it right on the top of my site that it’s our online name. I list the legal name of our business as well (Martin Security Group, Inc.), however, I haven’t created additional websites with bogus names and had them point to my website. I haven’t used bogus marketing techniques to push my site up to page one of a Google search.
Locksmithmiami, however, has a new marketing strategy – to post the same message of a bogus job on hundreds of forum, blog and guest book websites. I’ve tracked the same message on forums for gambling, adoption, young entrepreneurs, Buddhist, anarchist, gaming, appliance repair, writers, tech forums for both MAC’s and PC’s, British, website design and even job forums.
He’s also posted his bogus ad on Korean, French, Spanish and Vietnamese websites – in English, of course. It’s even on The Ethical Hacker forum. Not that I noticed that one before, but if you are going to post a bogus ad at least don’t post it on a site with the word “ethical” in the name. On every profile he lists himself as male and in the USA, except a soul sisters website, then he’s changed his gender - I guess to fit in.
Almost all forums were created within the last few days and most said that he was “offline,” except for one site that said he was online. I was tempted to jump in and ask him a question, but the forum title had such a perverse name I didn’t even want to click on it for fear I’d start getting Google ads flashed on every site that I go on including my homepage. It is possible to read the Google search listing summaries without clicking into the link to see where he’s been.
The forums administrators are beginning to catch on to his trick. I saw where he was banned from some forums including the pornography and sex addict support group - banned permanently, mind you. (so says the Google listing –didn’t go in). Boy, now he’s really in trouble.
Yuck! Who would want to answer a job ad from this guy? Would you want this guy coming to your home rekeying your locks? Not me.
Well, it looks like it’s almost over. He’s been reported several times to Stop Forum Spam with his one user name, his IP address (that’s his computer info) and his multiple email addresses. To see that, here’s the link:
http://www.stopforumspam.com/search?q=locksmithmiami
I did track down his actual website and called both the Miami phone and fax numbers listed and did not get an answer. Now his 866 number is forwarded to another Ft. Lauderdale, FL cell phone that’s not answered.
Locksmithmiami, however, has a new marketing strategy – to post the same message of a bogus job on hundreds of forum, blog and guest book websites. I’ve tracked the same message on forums for gambling, adoption, young entrepreneurs, Buddhist, anarchist, gaming, appliance repair, writers, tech forums for both MAC’s and PC’s, British, website design and even job forums.
He’s also posted his bogus ad on Korean, French, Spanish and Vietnamese websites – in English, of course. It’s even on The Ethical Hacker forum. Not that I noticed that one before, but if you are going to post a bogus ad at least don’t post it on a site with the word “ethical” in the name. On every profile he lists himself as male and in the USA, except a soul sisters website, then he’s changed his gender - I guess to fit in.
Almost all forums were created within the last few days and most said that he was “offline,” except for one site that said he was online. I was tempted to jump in and ask him a question, but the forum title had such a perverse name I didn’t even want to click on it for fear I’d start getting Google ads flashed on every site that I go on including my homepage. It is possible to read the Google search listing summaries without clicking into the link to see where he’s been.
The forums administrators are beginning to catch on to his trick. I saw where he was banned from some forums including the pornography and sex addict support group - banned permanently, mind you. (so says the Google listing –didn’t go in). Boy, now he’s really in trouble.
Yuck! Who would want to answer a job ad from this guy? Would you want this guy coming to your home rekeying your locks? Not me.
Well, it looks like it’s almost over. He’s been reported several times to Stop Forum Spam with his one user name, his IP address (that’s his computer info) and his multiple email addresses. To see that, here’s the link:
http://www.stopforumspam.com/search?q=locksmithmiami
I did track down his actual website and called both the Miami phone and fax numbers listed and did not get an answer. Now his 866 number is forwarded to another Ft. Lauderdale, FL cell phone that’s not answered.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Blagojevich did do something right
Ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich apparently did something right in 2006 when his administration suspended the locksmith license of Dependable Locks and its owner, David Peer for giving a fraudulent address on its license application, for failing to provide a list of its licensed staff and for failing to cooperate with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) in its investigation. The company was then based out of New York, but has since relocated to Florida.
The Department also suspended Price Line, based out of New York as well. Both companies listed their businesses with Illinois addresses, advertised their businesses in phone directories and used local phone exchanges and business names in their ads.
Consumers called a local number not realizing the companies had set up Remote Call Forwarding (RCF) numbers with the local phone company that forwarded their calls to call centers in New York.
The call centers then dispatched a sub-contractor to do the work. Illinois law prohibits unlicensed sub-contractors to work as locksmiths. Locksmiths must carry their locksmith license and the agency must also be licensed. Both companies complied with getting a license for their businesses but not for their employees. Not only must the employee pass a background check, they are also required to pass an exam to prove competency as a locksmith. I guess it was too much of an investment for the companies.
The Department also suspended Price Line, based out of New York as well. Both companies listed their businesses with Illinois addresses, advertised their businesses in phone directories and used local phone exchanges and business names in their ads.
Consumers called a local number not realizing the companies had set up Remote Call Forwarding (RCF) numbers with the local phone company that forwarded their calls to call centers in New York.
The call centers then dispatched a sub-contractor to do the work. Illinois law prohibits unlicensed sub-contractors to work as locksmiths. Locksmiths must carry their locksmith license and the agency must also be licensed. Both companies complied with getting a license for their businesses but not for their employees. Not only must the employee pass a background check, they are also required to pass an exam to prove competency as a locksmith. I guess it was too much of an investment for the companies.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Birds of a feather lock together
Dealing with tax collectors and their staff getting the needed information on registered locksmiths has been interesting to say the least. Different counties have different ways of listing or not listing the information.
My all-time favorite site thus far has to be Hernando County. Talk about user-friendly. They have only 19 locksmiths and besides the business name, and address and owner’s name, they list the business phone number – one of the few counties I’m come across that’s done that. The whole list can be easily printed out and stuck in the glove compartment of a car.
Will have to make some calls to see how accurate the listings are. While every listing has a business start date, renewal dates range from 2004 to 2007 when it should be 2009 or later.
There was, however, one suspicious-looking listing – Fancy Feathers & Friends in Brooksville, Fla. I called the owner Frank Haucke who said the business name was correct.
Since I assumed he had a pet shop full-time, I asked if he was doing locksmithing on the side. “No,” he said, “It’s a full-time job. At one time we owned a pet store and when we applied for the license for both businesses the county said we only needed one license.”
“When we closed the pet store, we didn’t change the name,” Haucke said.
Haucke said he had been locksmithing for more than 25 years and all his customers know him.
My all-time favorite site thus far has to be Hernando County. Talk about user-friendly. They have only 19 locksmiths and besides the business name, and address and owner’s name, they list the business phone number – one of the few counties I’m come across that’s done that. The whole list can be easily printed out and stuck in the glove compartment of a car.
Will have to make some calls to see how accurate the listings are. While every listing has a business start date, renewal dates range from 2004 to 2007 when it should be 2009 or later.
There was, however, one suspicious-looking listing – Fancy Feathers & Friends in Brooksville, Fla. I called the owner Frank Haucke who said the business name was correct.
Since I assumed he had a pet shop full-time, I asked if he was doing locksmithing on the side. “No,” he said, “It’s a full-time job. At one time we owned a pet store and when we applied for the license for both businesses the county said we only needed one license.”
“When we closed the pet store, we didn’t change the name,” Haucke said.
Haucke said he had been locksmithing for more than 25 years and all his customers know him.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
New Find-A-Legit-Locksmith site is up
Finally, the new http://www.find-a-legit-locksmith.com/ site is up. I needed a place to begin posting the lists of legally registered or licensed locksmiths and the blog was just not going to be able to handle it.
Did I say in a previous post that I would do this over the weekend? I forgot how graphically challenged I am. I needed grace, grace and more grace. Praise the Lord for templates! Even then it was tough going.
I did have some disappointments along the way gathering information. Most of the agencies have been forthcoming, but I am still waiting on a response from Miami-Dade. The only county in Florida that requires a locksmith license and there is no online access to check someone out before you call them. I was told to email them, which I did 10 days ago but as yet no response. Will follow up with a letter this week and if that doesn’t work I’ll download a sample letter from the Society of Professional Journalists and file a Freedom of Information letter. It’s been a while since I’ve written one of those – need to brush-up on the procedures. The last time I filed one I was trying to obtain information from ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement). It was pre-9-11 and it took forever. I can imagine what it’s like now. Well, an FOI letter is a last resort. I think they are just busy, so I’ll keep plugging away on completing the other 60+ counties in Florida while I’m waiting.
Did I say in a previous post that I would do this over the weekend? I forgot how graphically challenged I am. I needed grace, grace and more grace. Praise the Lord for templates! Even then it was tough going.
I did have some disappointments along the way gathering information. Most of the agencies have been forthcoming, but I am still waiting on a response from Miami-Dade. The only county in Florida that requires a locksmith license and there is no online access to check someone out before you call them. I was told to email them, which I did 10 days ago but as yet no response. Will follow up with a letter this week and if that doesn’t work I’ll download a sample letter from the Society of Professional Journalists and file a Freedom of Information letter. It’s been a while since I’ve written one of those – need to brush-up on the procedures. The last time I filed one I was trying to obtain information from ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement). It was pre-9-11 and it took forever. I can imagine what it’s like now. Well, an FOI letter is a last resort. I think they are just busy, so I’ll keep plugging away on completing the other 60+ counties in Florida while I’m waiting.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
National locksmith association changes ethics code - almost
When the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) issued a press release Tuesday to explain a recent change in their Code of Ethics concerning deceptive advertising, I began to wonder exactly how many of their 8,000 national members were violating the code. The previous code stated that members should "abstain from using improper or questionable methods of soliciting patronage..."
According to the press release, the new language added directs all members to “advertise and conduct business in a non-deceptive manner.”
ALOA President Ken Kupferman said the association does receive a lot of complaints daily but not about members. He wasn’t certain if members were using deceptive advertising practices, but said the change puts any members doing so on notice.
“We don’t want to be associated with people like that,” Kupferman said. He suggested I speak to Attorney Tim McMullen, ALOA’s legislative manager who handles complaints.
McMullen could cite only one case – a woman in Washington, D.C. who called to complain that a member locksmith was using her address on his website and wanted it removed. McMullen said they notified the member and they are waiting on a response.
One out of 8,000 members. I’d say that’s a pretty good record in anyone’s book.
To see the entire code go to: http://aloa.org/pdf/ethicode.pdf, but wait a few days. The change hasn’t made it to the website yet.
According to the press release, the new language added directs all members to “advertise and conduct business in a non-deceptive manner.”
ALOA President Ken Kupferman said the association does receive a lot of complaints daily but not about members. He wasn’t certain if members were using deceptive advertising practices, but said the change puts any members doing so on notice.
“We don’t want to be associated with people like that,” Kupferman said. He suggested I speak to Attorney Tim McMullen, ALOA’s legislative manager who handles complaints.
McMullen could cite only one case – a woman in Washington, D.C. who called to complain that a member locksmith was using her address on his website and wanted it removed. McMullen said they notified the member and they are waiting on a response.
One out of 8,000 members. I’d say that’s a pretty good record in anyone’s book.
To see the entire code go to: http://aloa.org/pdf/ethicode.pdf, but wait a few days. The change hasn’t made it to the website yet.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
New locksmith website update
Wow! I forgot how much time and effort it takes to create a new website, but I am making progress. I have several states ready to go and will post locksmiths in about 5 counties to begin with.
Will keep you posted.
Will keep you posted.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Registered locksmith listings to begin with Florida locksmiths
As promised in my April 2nd blog – Investigating Locksmiths? Moi?, I will start listing registered locksmiths, but not on the blog. This blog just doesn’t have the functionality I need to list the locksmiths by state and county.
So I had to create a new website at and will be working on it over the weekend. Hope to have it up and running by then.
I’ll begin with Florida’s 66 counties plus list links to states that do have locksmith laws. Even with locksmith laws, the scam artists are still working. I’m hoping that will change as problems with bogus phone directory and online listing are addressed.
So I had to create a new website at and will be working on it over the weekend. Hope to have it up and running by then.
I’ll begin with Florida’s 66 counties plus list links to states that do have locksmith laws. Even with locksmith laws, the scam artists are still working. I’m hoping that will change as problems with bogus phone directory and online listing are addressed.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Locksmiths, Florida and the Russian mob
The New York Times has a blog called The Board written by a group of journalists on their editorial board. Last August I happened to read board member Verlyn Klinkenborg’s post entitled “A Bad Day.” It was a litany of exasperating experiences that piled up all in one day.
Klinkenborg’s bad day began as he left for work. He found he was locked in his apartment with a deadbolt that wouldn’t retract.
What originally intrigued me about the story was Klinkenborg’s next sentence:
“If you’ve ever called an emergency locksmith on a Sunday, you know what followed – a visit from the Russian mafia, which accepts only cash on weekends, a whopping bill, and a grudging drive in the locksmith’s van to a nearby ATM.”
“Hum, so the Russian mafia is probably controlling the whole locksmith industry in New York City,” I thought. “Glad we don’t have that problem in Florida.”
I didn’t think about it again until ten days later when I received a call on our business line from a man with a heavy Russian accent and broken English.
“Hello. What is Martin Security? You a locksmith?”
“Yes, Sir, we are,” I replied. “How can I help you?”
“I find you online. Craig’s List. This is Locksmith 911. I lost a man in your area and need someone to take care of a lady. You do Orlando?
“Yes, now, what did you say your name was?” I asked. “Are you in Central Florida?”
“This is Russell with Locksmith 911. We work all over Florida. I lose a man. You do the job? Yes?”
“Yes,” I said. Since I was at my computer I did a reverse phone number search on the name and number listed on my digital display. His name and number matched, but he was calling from a landline in Manhattan, NY.
As Russell gave me the particulars of the job, I searched the Florida Department of Corporations website, but a company by the name of Locksmith 911 was not found. A dozen businesses were listed under Russell’s name, but all were medical industry companies (medical supplies, doctor groups, HMO’s). Russell must have a common Russian surname.
“I give you this one free,” said Russell about the financial arrangements. “Next time you pay me 30 percent and you get to keep 70 percent. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said. “But where do I send you the money? What’s your address here in Florida?
“Next time I call, I give you my address and you mail me a business check.”
“Right,” I thought, “I’m going to send my check with my bank account numbers on it to someone who may be in the Russian mafia. No way!”
I assured Russell that if for some reason we couldn’t do the job, I would get another locksmith to do it. We hung up and after thinking about what transpired, I decided to toss this hot potato to Jerry, a fellow locksmith, who accepted the job after I explained the situation.
Russell’s Florida business must have slowed down or he discovered I passed the job on. In either case, he’s never called again.
Klinkenborg’s bad day began as he left for work. He found he was locked in his apartment with a deadbolt that wouldn’t retract.
What originally intrigued me about the story was Klinkenborg’s next sentence:
“If you’ve ever called an emergency locksmith on a Sunday, you know what followed – a visit from the Russian mafia, which accepts only cash on weekends, a whopping bill, and a grudging drive in the locksmith’s van to a nearby ATM.”
“Hum, so the Russian mafia is probably controlling the whole locksmith industry in New York City,” I thought. “Glad we don’t have that problem in Florida.”
I didn’t think about it again until ten days later when I received a call on our business line from a man with a heavy Russian accent and broken English.
“Hello. What is Martin Security? You a locksmith?”
“Yes, Sir, we are,” I replied. “How can I help you?”
“I find you online. Craig’s List. This is Locksmith 911. I lost a man in your area and need someone to take care of a lady. You do Orlando?
“Yes, now, what did you say your name was?” I asked. “Are you in Central Florida?”
“This is Russell with Locksmith 911. We work all over Florida. I lose a man. You do the job? Yes?”
“Yes,” I said. Since I was at my computer I did a reverse phone number search on the name and number listed on my digital display. His name and number matched, but he was calling from a landline in Manhattan, NY.
As Russell gave me the particulars of the job, I searched the Florida Department of Corporations website, but a company by the name of Locksmith 911 was not found. A dozen businesses were listed under Russell’s name, but all were medical industry companies (medical supplies, doctor groups, HMO’s). Russell must have a common Russian surname.
“I give you this one free,” said Russell about the financial arrangements. “Next time you pay me 30 percent and you get to keep 70 percent. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said. “But where do I send you the money? What’s your address here in Florida?
“Next time I call, I give you my address and you mail me a business check.”
“Right,” I thought, “I’m going to send my check with my bank account numbers on it to someone who may be in the Russian mafia. No way!”
I assured Russell that if for some reason we couldn’t do the job, I would get another locksmith to do it. We hung up and after thinking about what transpired, I decided to toss this hot potato to Jerry, a fellow locksmith, who accepted the job after I explained the situation.
Russell’s Florida business must have slowed down or he discovered I passed the job on. In either case, he’s never called again.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Florida legislators should tone down pending locksmith laws
Right now two locksmith licensing bills are working their way through the Florida legislative process – SB 1844 in the Senate and HB 107 in the House of Representatives.
The Senate bill is 30 pages long and the House bill is 31 pages long.
While I believe some regulation of this industry is necessary, parts of the bills seem to be drawn with a wide brush. For example:
Locksmiths can be denied a license or have a license suspended or revoked due to:
a) failure to satisfy a civil fine, administrative fine or other penalty arising out of any administrative or enforcement action brought by any government agency.
(Sound like it includes everything from parking tickets to the IRS!)
b) received any civil, criminal, or administrative adjudication in any jurisdiction
(Better not get a speeding ticket.)
c) having pending against them any criminal, administrative or enforcement proceedings in any jurisdiction.
(Let’s hope your grass doesn’t grow too high while you’re on vacation because if one of your neighbors calls code enforcement, you could lose your livelihood.)
I guess I just don’t like that word “any” since it is applied in such an all-encompassing way. It can obviously apply to a lot of infractions not related to locksmithing. Is it any wonder locksmiths and locksmith associations are against the law as it is written?
In comparison, what I do like is the way the Miami-Dade County’s 15-page Locksmith Ordinance is written. It was enacted in 1995. Miami-Dade County does use the word “any”, but limits it to crimes related to locksmithing or felonies involving moral turpitude or serious violent crimes. Here is that portion of their code:
Sec. 8A-362.
(3) Absence of any plea of nolo contendere, plea of guilt, finding of guilt or conviction within the past five (5) years, in any jurisdiction, of a felony, misdemeanor, or ordinance violation for robbery, burglary, larceny, theft, possession of stolen goods, possession of stolen car, breaking and entering, or any other crime related to locksmithing, whether or not adjudication has been withheld. Effective October 1, 2000, any plea of nolo contendere, plea of guilt, finding of guilt or withhold of adjudication shall only be considered if the applicant files an application for the first time or has not filed timely and successive renewal applications.
(4) Absence of any plea of nolo contendere, plea of guilt, finding of guilt, or conviction, in any jurisdiction, whether or not adjudication has been withheld, of any felony involving moral turpitude relating to sex, the use of a deadly weapon, homicide, violence against a law enforcement officer, or is a habitual felony offender.
No industry likes to be regulated, especially in this case when it is those outside the industry (non-locksmiths, con artists) who have created the serious issue by posing as locksmiths.
Legislators should not pull a page from the crisis management playbook of President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. This crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things that you could not do before.”
To over-burden genuine hard-working blue-collar locksmiths with all-encompassing regulations is just short-sighted. When locksmiths decide to change occupations due to over-regulation, a shortage of locksmiths will occur causing increased service fees and product prices to consumers.
Editor’s note: Future blogs will reveal what else in the pending bills are making locksmiths uneasy.
The Senate bill is 30 pages long and the House bill is 31 pages long.
While I believe some regulation of this industry is necessary, parts of the bills seem to be drawn with a wide brush. For example:
Locksmiths can be denied a license or have a license suspended or revoked due to:
a) failure to satisfy a civil fine, administrative fine or other penalty arising out of any administrative or enforcement action brought by any government agency.
(Sound like it includes everything from parking tickets to the IRS!)
b) received any civil, criminal, or administrative adjudication in any jurisdiction
(Better not get a speeding ticket.)
c) having pending against them any criminal, administrative or enforcement proceedings in any jurisdiction.
(Let’s hope your grass doesn’t grow too high while you’re on vacation because if one of your neighbors calls code enforcement, you could lose your livelihood.)
I guess I just don’t like that word “any” since it is applied in such an all-encompassing way. It can obviously apply to a lot of infractions not related to locksmithing. Is it any wonder locksmiths and locksmith associations are against the law as it is written?
In comparison, what I do like is the way the Miami-Dade County’s 15-page Locksmith Ordinance is written. It was enacted in 1995. Miami-Dade County does use the word “any”, but limits it to crimes related to locksmithing or felonies involving moral turpitude or serious violent crimes. Here is that portion of their code:
Sec. 8A-362.
(3) Absence of any plea of nolo contendere, plea of guilt, finding of guilt or conviction within the past five (5) years, in any jurisdiction, of a felony, misdemeanor, or ordinance violation for robbery, burglary, larceny, theft, possession of stolen goods, possession of stolen car, breaking and entering, or any other crime related to locksmithing, whether or not adjudication has been withheld. Effective October 1, 2000, any plea of nolo contendere, plea of guilt, finding of guilt or withhold of adjudication shall only be considered if the applicant files an application for the first time or has not filed timely and successive renewal applications.
(4) Absence of any plea of nolo contendere, plea of guilt, finding of guilt, or conviction, in any jurisdiction, whether or not adjudication has been withheld, of any felony involving moral turpitude relating to sex, the use of a deadly weapon, homicide, violence against a law enforcement officer, or is a habitual felony offender.
No industry likes to be regulated, especially in this case when it is those outside the industry (non-locksmiths, con artists) who have created the serious issue by posing as locksmiths.
Legislators should not pull a page from the crisis management playbook of President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. This crisis provides the opportunity for us to do things that you could not do before.”
To over-burden genuine hard-working blue-collar locksmiths with all-encompassing regulations is just short-sighted. When locksmiths decide to change occupations due to over-regulation, a shortage of locksmiths will occur causing increased service fees and product prices to consumers.
Editor’s note: Future blogs will reveal what else in the pending bills are making locksmiths uneasy.
Missouri Attorney General sues Florida locksmith company
Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit last Thursday to stop Dependable Locks, Inc. of Florida from fraudulent business practices. Koster is asking the court to approve an order which stops the company from advertising itself deceitfully with at least 16 different business names and bogus addresses and from charging consumers two to three times more than the price quoted for service. None of the 16 businesses are legally registered with the state to conduct business in Missouri.
Since Missouri is not one of 13 states with laws regulating the locksmith industry, Koster was required to go through the court process to stop the fraudulent activity. An online search of both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives revealed that there is no locksmith legislation currently working its way through their legislative process.
In addition, Koster notified AT&T (a regulated industry) that it is carrying deceptive advertisements and demanded that the phone company take all appropriate steps to remove the ads, including removing them from electronic sites such as “The Real Yellow Pages” and yellowpages.com.
According to the State of Florida Division of Corporations website, Dependable Locks, Inc. is owned by David Peer of Dunedin, Fla. Peer lists his former address on the 2006 incorporation papers as Bronx, NY. He is listed as the sole officer of the company. According to the 2008 forms, the principal place of business is at 407 S. Arcturas Ave., Clearwater, Fla. 33765.
Koster requests that victims of Dependable Locks, Inc. file a complaint at www.ago.mo.gov or call his consumer hotline at 800-392-8222. Investigators in the Attorney General’s office found the following business names being used by Dependable Locks, Inc.:
A #1 24 Hour Locksmith
A 24 Hour locksmith
AAA 24 & 7 day Locksmith
A Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith
A Emergency A Locksmith
A Locksmith Always 24 Hour
A Locksmith A 1-24 Hour
A Locksmith 00 24 Hour
A Locksmith O Always 24 hour
A Locksmith Service 24 hour
A Locksmith 24 Hour Emergency
A Locksmith
A Kansas City #1 Emergency Locksmith
24 hour A Locksmith At St. Louis
24 hour A Locksmith
Locksmith
0 24 Hour Locksmith
Since Missouri is not one of 13 states with laws regulating the locksmith industry, Koster was required to go through the court process to stop the fraudulent activity. An online search of both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives revealed that there is no locksmith legislation currently working its way through their legislative process.
In addition, Koster notified AT&T (a regulated industry) that it is carrying deceptive advertisements and demanded that the phone company take all appropriate steps to remove the ads, including removing them from electronic sites such as “The Real Yellow Pages” and yellowpages.com.
According to the State of Florida Division of Corporations website, Dependable Locks, Inc. is owned by David Peer of Dunedin, Fla. Peer lists his former address on the 2006 incorporation papers as Bronx, NY. He is listed as the sole officer of the company. According to the 2008 forms, the principal place of business is at 407 S. Arcturas Ave., Clearwater, Fla. 33765.
Koster requests that victims of Dependable Locks, Inc. file a complaint at www.ago.mo.gov or call his consumer hotline at 800-392-8222. Investigators in the Attorney General’s office found the following business names being used by Dependable Locks, Inc.:
A #1 24 Hour Locksmith
A 24 Hour locksmith
AAA 24 & 7 day Locksmith
A Always Available 24 Hour Locksmith
A Emergency A Locksmith
A Locksmith Always 24 Hour
A Locksmith A 1-24 Hour
A Locksmith 00 24 Hour
A Locksmith O Always 24 hour
A Locksmith Service 24 hour
A Locksmith 24 Hour Emergency
A Locksmith
A Kansas City #1 Emergency Locksmith
24 hour A Locksmith At St. Louis
24 hour A Locksmith
Locksmith
0 24 Hour Locksmith
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Investigating Locksmiths? Moi?
I know. I know. The title of my blog is The Locksmith Investigator, but that is really not what I’m doing. Genuine locksmiths don’t need to be investigated. Those who legally register with the state, county and city are doing every thing right.
What I am investigating are the phony “locksmiths” or “locksmith” companies. I hate to even use the word “locksmith” with these scam artists. These are those who are out there preying on the public -- like the company who posted the following ad on Craig’s List. (Craig’s List has since removed the ad).
Locksmith (No Experience - OK) (Minneapolis+St Poul)
March 15, 2009
Filed under Skilled Trades
We are looking for high motivated individuals who would like to establish a business relation with a nationwide company who can provide up to 30-40 service call a week on a 24/7 basis. our business model includes : subcontracting the Jobs to you, and you will receive a percentage of every invoice. Expected income, based on our subcontractors all over the Major US cities, will be 1000-1500 a week. we will cover 50 % of the travel expenses for the training. Locksmiths with experience are well-come to answer this add as well.
So let me see if I read this right. This national company wants to sub-contract locksmithing jobs out to inexperienced locksmiths?
An inexperienced sub-contractor is NOT a locksmith!!!
He’s just a guy with a drill who drills out perfectly good locks because he has no skills or tools with which to pick them open. He then replaces them with junk which he calls a high-security product so he can overcharge the consumer.
Okay, so how do I investigate phony locksmiths? Since the call centers change sub-contractors frequently, tracking down the sub-contractors won’t help. Listing call centers and the various names they use would help, but the best course of action, I believe, would be to list all the genuine locksmiths out there.
If people had the truth, it’s not likely they will choose a fake. But first, I had to find the genuine locksmiths -- and I did. I knew the tax collector was the best keeper of that information. Now all I needed was to speak to the right person in his office.
After two days of phone tag with three very helpful Orange County staff members, I finally did speak to the right person and he sent me a file with the information I needed. Thank you, Joe Giovanelli! Of course, I still have to sort through 1114 pages to find the answers I need, but I’ll work on that over the next few days.
Hope to have time to get updated information from Seminole County this week. Last year there were 21 registered locksmiths. I had to actually go to the county services building at the opposite end of the county from where I live to get the information, so I know it's not easy for consumers to find the answers. Hope to have some answers soon on how many actually locksmiths are in these two counties. We know there are 1791 phone listings, so this should be interesting.
What I am investigating are the phony “locksmiths” or “locksmith” companies. I hate to even use the word “locksmith” with these scam artists. These are those who are out there preying on the public -- like the company who posted the following ad on Craig’s List. (Craig’s List has since removed the ad).
Locksmith (No Experience - OK) (Minneapolis+St Poul)
March 15, 2009
Filed under Skilled Trades
We are looking for high motivated individuals who would like to establish a business relation with a nationwide company who can provide up to 30-40 service call a week on a 24/7 basis. our business model includes : subcontracting the Jobs to you, and you will receive a percentage of every invoice. Expected income, based on our subcontractors all over the Major US cities, will be 1000-1500 a week. we will cover 50 % of the travel expenses for the training. Locksmiths with experience are well-come to answer this add as well.
So let me see if I read this right. This national company wants to sub-contract locksmithing jobs out to inexperienced locksmiths?
An inexperienced sub-contractor is NOT a locksmith!!!
He’s just a guy with a drill who drills out perfectly good locks because he has no skills or tools with which to pick them open. He then replaces them with junk which he calls a high-security product so he can overcharge the consumer.
Okay, so how do I investigate phony locksmiths? Since the call centers change sub-contractors frequently, tracking down the sub-contractors won’t help. Listing call centers and the various names they use would help, but the best course of action, I believe, would be to list all the genuine locksmiths out there.
If people had the truth, it’s not likely they will choose a fake. But first, I had to find the genuine locksmiths -- and I did. I knew the tax collector was the best keeper of that information. Now all I needed was to speak to the right person in his office.
After two days of phone tag with three very helpful Orange County staff members, I finally did speak to the right person and he sent me a file with the information I needed. Thank you, Joe Giovanelli! Of course, I still have to sort through 1114 pages to find the answers I need, but I’ll work on that over the next few days.
Hope to have time to get updated information from Seminole County this week. Last year there were 21 registered locksmiths. I had to actually go to the county services building at the opposite end of the county from where I live to get the information, so I know it's not easy for consumers to find the answers. Hope to have some answers soon on how many actually locksmiths are in these two counties. We know there are 1791 phone listings, so this should be interesting.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Are phone directories cleaning up their act?
Got a call from a local phone directory sales person this week wanting me to buy an advertisement in their “yellow” pages.
First I asked her if we could advertise using our online business name, A-Florida-Locksmith.com instead of/ or in addition to our legal name which is Martin Security Group, Inc. She said we could as long as we showed her a business license with that name. When I said I didn’t have one for A-Florida-Locksmith.com, she then said that all I would need would be to print out a fictitious name filing from the State website.
Next I began asking her about all the bogus locksmith listings in the phone book.
“Oh, those were a lot of unscrupulous people. They didn’t pay us so we took them out. You’ll see a big difference in the phone book this year,” she said. “I had other locksmiths ask me the same question.”
Okay, I thought. So it was the sales people’s fault – they just sold advertising to anyone who said they would pay.
“Now with anyone who does more than $300 a month in advertising with us, we have to do a fraud check on them,” she continued.
“So what about all the bogus online listings?” I asked
“If they don’t pay, then we pull them right away,” she said. “We can do that much easier with the internet whereas the book doesn’t change for a year.”
Those policies sounded much better but were they accurate? I checked their website for a locksmith in Altamonte Springs. After the first ½ page of advertisers (none in Altamonte), came the bogus listings. Two of the advertisers, by the way, were not registered with the State of Florida – guess they forgot to check that.
Apparently we were talking about two different things. She was talking about how if the advertisers don’t pay, then they pull them. I was asking about bogus unpaid listings not advertisers. I don’t think customers can tell the difference. They just look for a locksmith with the name of their city in its name and call that one. None of the advertisers had the word “Altamonte” in their name, so one would keep scrolling. There were 12 unpaid listings with the word “Altamonte” in their name and not one of them is a registered locksmith in the city or on the State website. It was the same old list of bogus listings with bogus addresses which I had checked out previously.
Well, either the phone company is still working on this and way, way behind or it looks like not much has changed.
First I asked her if we could advertise using our online business name, A-Florida-Locksmith.com instead of/ or in addition to our legal name which is Martin Security Group, Inc. She said we could as long as we showed her a business license with that name. When I said I didn’t have one for A-Florida-Locksmith.com, she then said that all I would need would be to print out a fictitious name filing from the State website.
Next I began asking her about all the bogus locksmith listings in the phone book.
“Oh, those were a lot of unscrupulous people. They didn’t pay us so we took them out. You’ll see a big difference in the phone book this year,” she said. “I had other locksmiths ask me the same question.”
Okay, I thought. So it was the sales people’s fault – they just sold advertising to anyone who said they would pay.
“Now with anyone who does more than $300 a month in advertising with us, we have to do a fraud check on them,” she continued.
“So what about all the bogus online listings?” I asked
“If they don’t pay, then we pull them right away,” she said. “We can do that much easier with the internet whereas the book doesn’t change for a year.”
Those policies sounded much better but were they accurate? I checked their website for a locksmith in Altamonte Springs. After the first ½ page of advertisers (none in Altamonte), came the bogus listings. Two of the advertisers, by the way, were not registered with the State of Florida – guess they forgot to check that.
Apparently we were talking about two different things. She was talking about how if the advertisers don’t pay, then they pull them. I was asking about bogus unpaid listings not advertisers. I don’t think customers can tell the difference. They just look for a locksmith with the name of their city in its name and call that one. None of the advertisers had the word “Altamonte” in their name, so one would keep scrolling. There were 12 unpaid listings with the word “Altamonte” in their name and not one of them is a registered locksmith in the city or on the State website. It was the same old list of bogus listings with bogus addresses which I had checked out previously.
Well, either the phone company is still working on this and way, way behind or it looks like not much has changed.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Avoid this type of locksmith double-scam
Did you read the blog post of the woman who got locked out and called a locksmith who scammed her? Actually, she was scammed twice and didn’t even know it. The original quote was a $45 service fee and $39 for the cheapest lock (very reasonable). After arriving the “locksmith” said it would cost $185 to drill out the high-security Arrow lock. (Not sure from the story if it was $185 additional or included with the service fee and lock price.)
UH-OH!
SCAM #1 So which do you think is harder to do? Drill out a lock or pick it open? Anyone with a drill can drill out a lock. Picking locks takes skill, knowledge, time and specialized tools. Picking locks is not like it is shown on television. Since the locksmith told her the price would be $89 ($45 + $39) for the call, why would it cost another $96 to drill out a lock?
SCAM #2 Well, okay, so there is no way this woman would have known this, but Arrow Lock Company does NOT make high-security locks for residential purposes. It’s something any legitimate locksmith would know. So if that was the locksmith’s excuse for the high drill fee, he was being dishonest about his exorbitant fee.
The original blog was located at: http://asmor.livejournal.com/552384.html but when I rechecked it recently, it was not available.
Anyway, it should be noted that many times it is necessary to drill out a lock – especially if it has been damaged, corroded, is bump or pick-proof or is just not pickable. Since residential locks are made of cheaper material, corrosion is a common event in humid climates such as Florida especially in coastal areas where moisture, salt and sand all combine. About 35% of the locks we attempt to pick open have to be drilled out.
UH-OH!
SCAM #1 So which do you think is harder to do? Drill out a lock or pick it open? Anyone with a drill can drill out a lock. Picking locks takes skill, knowledge, time and specialized tools. Picking locks is not like it is shown on television. Since the locksmith told her the price would be $89 ($45 + $39) for the call, why would it cost another $96 to drill out a lock?
SCAM #2 Well, okay, so there is no way this woman would have known this, but Arrow Lock Company does NOT make high-security locks for residential purposes. It’s something any legitimate locksmith would know. So if that was the locksmith’s excuse for the high drill fee, he was being dishonest about his exorbitant fee.
The original blog was located at: http://asmor.livejournal.com/552384.html but when I rechecked it recently, it was not available.
Anyway, it should be noted that many times it is necessary to drill out a lock – especially if it has been damaged, corroded, is bump or pick-proof or is just not pickable. Since residential locks are made of cheaper material, corrosion is a common event in humid climates such as Florida especially in coastal areas where moisture, salt and sand all combine. About 35% of the locks we attempt to pick open have to be drilled out.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sex Offender Locksmiths
You’ve just locked yourself and your children out of your home.
You borrowed a neighbor’s phone book, picked out a locksmith and called him.
What are the chances you've just called a sex offender working as a locksmith?
How safe would you feel after he left?
Think it can't happen? Think again.
Anyone can unintentionally call someone of disreputable character in states that do not require licensing for locksmiths.
In June 2008, WHAS 11 NEWS in Kentucky had an investigative report about just such a locksmith. The story is no longer available on their website, so I’ve summarized it here:
Registered child sex offender Charles Raisor opened up Charlie’s Locksmith and Maintenance Company in Shelbyville, Kentucky. If that was not bad enough, Raisor hired another registered child sex offender who had also been convicted of drug possession and carrying a gun by a convicted felon.
Raisor was operating as any locksmith would – unlocking doors, and rekeying or installing new locks - securing people’s homes and businesses. The fact that he had a secret any parent would need to know didn’t seem to bother him. Two months prior to the television station’s report, Raisor had been charged with failing to comply with the sex offender registry and violating sex offender residence restrictions. But he wasn’t in jail when the news channel found him. He was out working.
Apparently there are no occupational restrictions against convicted sex offenders owning locksmith businesses since there are no locksmith licensing laws in Kentucky or in Florida for that matter. Such laws would require State and Federal fingerprint and criminal background checks.
Since city and county business registration personnel do NOT cross-check business registrations with the sex offender database, consumers must do all they can to investigate before inviting someone into their home or business.
You borrowed a neighbor’s phone book, picked out a locksmith and called him.
What are the chances you've just called a sex offender working as a locksmith?
How safe would you feel after he left?
Think it can't happen? Think again.
Anyone can unintentionally call someone of disreputable character in states that do not require licensing for locksmiths.
In June 2008, WHAS 11 NEWS in Kentucky had an investigative report about just such a locksmith. The story is no longer available on their website, so I’ve summarized it here:
Registered child sex offender Charles Raisor opened up Charlie’s Locksmith and Maintenance Company in Shelbyville, Kentucky. If that was not bad enough, Raisor hired another registered child sex offender who had also been convicted of drug possession and carrying a gun by a convicted felon.
Raisor was operating as any locksmith would – unlocking doors, and rekeying or installing new locks - securing people’s homes and businesses. The fact that he had a secret any parent would need to know didn’t seem to bother him. Two months prior to the television station’s report, Raisor had been charged with failing to comply with the sex offender registry and violating sex offender residence restrictions. But he wasn’t in jail when the news channel found him. He was out working.
Apparently there are no occupational restrictions against convicted sex offenders owning locksmith businesses since there are no locksmith licensing laws in Kentucky or in Florida for that matter. Such laws would require State and Federal fingerprint and criminal background checks.
Since city and county business registration personnel do NOT cross-check business registrations with the sex offender database, consumers must do all they can to investigate before inviting someone into their home or business.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Call a locksmith, get a con artist!
Okay, so you need a local locksmith. Quick!
Using your phone directory or a city internet search, what’s the chances of you unintentionally calling a scam artist, an out-of-state company posing as a local locksmith or a pedophile in business for him-or-herself rather than finding a registered locksmith?
Don’t know? Well, let’s try my city – Altamonte Springs, FL – a city of approximately 40,000 people.
Monica McConaghy, the Business Tax Administrator of Altamonte Springs, printed off a list of just 4 registered locksmiths – that’s F-O-U-R. She said occupational licenses are now called business tax registrations. Of the four locksmiths, one has a storefront and the other three are mobile - one of which is our company, Martin Security Group, Inc. AKA www.a-florida-locksmith.com
Three different LOCAL phone books, however, say something else. According to them, there are 57 individually-named locksmiths in Altamonte. You have to search among 1791 listings to find them all. (Yes, I did count every single one of them.)
As far as internet search results for Altamonte locksmiths go – well, I quit counting at 377 (out of thousands). With all the map spam, blog spam and fake ads (with none-existence addresses) by out-of-state companies posing as locals as well as Florida locksmiths using multiple names, it was time-consuming trying to find those four Altamonte locksmiths in a city search. The search term I used was - Locksmith Altamonte Springs, Fl.
The fact that I knew exactly who I was looking for should have made it easy, but I only found two. Our family's website (www.a-florida-locksmith.com) and free classified ads were listed on the first two Google search pages as was a link for one other registered-in-Altamonte-locksmith, Liberty Locksmiths.
But Google’s first 2 pages also included listings or ads for 47 other locksmiths all claiming to be Altamonte locksmiths. No wonder people are confused.
Many of the listings/ads are either directories or bogus call-center listings with local or 800 numbers. Clicking on the directories gets you nowhere since, again, mostly what is listed are all the bogus call-center listings.
All four Altamonte businesses are registered with the state and when they registered with the City of Altamonte Springs, they were automatically registered with Seminole County. Locksmiths who take the time to legally register are usually people who have invested time in training as well as money in equipment, supplies and vehicles. They work hard to provide good service and want repeat business. They are not going to scam you.
Legitimate locksmiths, whether they have a storefront or are just mobile, generally work within a 50-mile radius of their base. This usually encompasses 2 or more counties and listing every city or community they work in on their website is normal and expected. However, if you see a website that lists every city in the state, you should be suspicious.
So what are your chances of getting scammed or someone disreputable having the keys to your home, business or vehicle? Pretty high, I believe.
Using your phone directory or a city internet search, what’s the chances of you unintentionally calling a scam artist, an out-of-state company posing as a local locksmith or a pedophile in business for him-or-herself rather than finding a registered locksmith?
Don’t know? Well, let’s try my city – Altamonte Springs, FL – a city of approximately 40,000 people.
Monica McConaghy, the Business Tax Administrator of Altamonte Springs, printed off a list of just 4 registered locksmiths – that’s F-O-U-R. She said occupational licenses are now called business tax registrations. Of the four locksmiths, one has a storefront and the other three are mobile - one of which is our company, Martin Security Group, Inc. AKA www.a-florida-locksmith.com
Three different LOCAL phone books, however, say something else. According to them, there are 57 individually-named locksmiths in Altamonte. You have to search among 1791 listings to find them all. (Yes, I did count every single one of them.)
As far as internet search results for Altamonte locksmiths go – well, I quit counting at 377 (out of thousands). With all the map spam, blog spam and fake ads (with none-existence addresses) by out-of-state companies posing as locals as well as Florida locksmiths using multiple names, it was time-consuming trying to find those four Altamonte locksmiths in a city search. The search term I used was - Locksmith Altamonte Springs, Fl.
The fact that I knew exactly who I was looking for should have made it easy, but I only found two. Our family's website (www.a-florida-locksmith.com) and free classified ads were listed on the first two Google search pages as was a link for one other registered-in-Altamonte-locksmith, Liberty Locksmiths.
But Google’s first 2 pages also included listings or ads for 47 other locksmiths all claiming to be Altamonte locksmiths. No wonder people are confused.
Many of the listings/ads are either directories or bogus call-center listings with local or 800 numbers. Clicking on the directories gets you nowhere since, again, mostly what is listed are all the bogus call-center listings.
All four Altamonte businesses are registered with the state and when they registered with the City of Altamonte Springs, they were automatically registered with Seminole County. Locksmiths who take the time to legally register are usually people who have invested time in training as well as money in equipment, supplies and vehicles. They work hard to provide good service and want repeat business. They are not going to scam you.
Legitimate locksmiths, whether they have a storefront or are just mobile, generally work within a 50-mile radius of their base. This usually encompasses 2 or more counties and listing every city or community they work in on their website is normal and expected. However, if you see a website that lists every city in the state, you should be suspicious.
So what are your chances of getting scammed or someone disreputable having the keys to your home, business or vehicle? Pretty high, I believe.
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