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.
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