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.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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.
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