FRAUD ALERT

FRAUD ALERTS FOR THE EDMONTON AREA

You should always be aware of fraudulent locksmiths in Edmonton that may attempt to take advantage of you and scam you out of your hard-earned money. These alleged locksmiths may pretend to be subcontractors for Aegis Locksmiths and other locksmith companies. They may quote you almost unbelievably low pricing when it comes to unlocking your home but then inform you when they arrive at your home that your lock requires more, which will cost you much more at the time as well as for fixing the problems they create for you.

At Aegis, we do not subcontract other locksmiths to perform work for us. Aegis Lockworks Ltd. employs all our locksmiths, who are highly qualified and highly experienced with a wide variety of locks and how to deal with them. They are not employed or affiliated by any other companies.

When you call us - no matter what time of day or who answers the phone - we’ll always identify ourselves so that you know you’ve contacted Aegis Locksmiths and can rely on us for high quality work and superior service.

Be sure to listen for the "Good [Morning/Afternoon/Evening] Aegis Locksmiths, how may we help you?"

Management,

Aegis Lockworks Ltd.

Don’t Be Fooled by Fraudulent Locksmiths

The following are a few stories from Edmonton residents who were victims of locksmith fraud.

1. After realizing she was locked out of her home, a woman used her phone to Google Edmonton Locksmiths. One of the first listings she saw was for a locksmith who could open her door for $15. It seemed too good to be true so she called the company and was reassured that they could open her home for such a low amount. She agreed and when they arrived less than an hour later, they informed her that her lock was a very difficult lock to get into and they’d have to drill it, even though they hadn’t made any attempt to pick it open. After an hour of drilling, it still wouldn’t open and he smashed the knob off the door to pry away the housing assembly, which destroyed her home’s lock.

If he had been a qualified and experienced locksmith, he would have recognized the lock as an obsolete Weiser Interconnected Lock that hadn’t been manufactured for over 40 years and therefore getting replacement parts would be practically impossible. Instead, he told her that he could do nothing for her and that she would need a new lock. He still charged her almost 300 dollars to open her home as well as causing an extra hundreds of dollars in damage to a lock that wouldn’t be easily replaced before he left.

She was left with a damaged lock on her door and a wild goose chase to try and find another to replace it with.
When she called Aegis to ask if we had parts or a replacement, we learned about her story. When she sent us a photo of the damaged lock, our entire staff was shocked by the unethical and unprofessional methods this other locksmith took to open her home. If he’d known anything about the lock she had, he would have been able to take the proper steps to open it.

Don’t let this happen to you – always contact an established locksmith and check their credentials and locksmith license. At Aegis Locksmiths, we believe most locks – other than high security locks – can be picked open in a matter of minutes instead of going straight to drilling.

If this woman had called us instead, here is what we would have charged for the same job, even if we had to drill the lock out:

Service call: $90
Drilling out the lock: $30.00
New keypad: $219.99 (for a new keyless entry lock. If any locked is drilled, there’s no need to replace the whole lock – only the lock cylinder at $42.20/lock cylinder)
Subtotal with a new keyless entry lock: $339.99
Subtotal with just the lock cylinder replaced: $162.20

If you’ve been the victim of such a scam, you can file a complaint here.

2. An elderly woman who called up a locksmith and was told it would be just $35 to open her home. This cost ballooned up to over a thousand dollars for a brand new set of locks that did not need to be replaced, as well as rekeying charges. At Aegis, we offer free rekeying with new locks.

What scamming locksmiths don’t realize is that the service call charge is necessary for mobile locksmiths to cover the cost of vehicle fuel, maintenance, repairs, and insurance. There are a lot of miles on a locksmith vehicle and so regular upkeep is essential to keep the vehicle running. Charging so low isn’t going to cover everyday maintenance unless you’re in a small town where it takes less than 5 minutes to get anywhere. Locksmith vehicles travel many miles and require consistent maintenance to keep them running, which in turn allows the mobile locksmith to serve their customers better.

Don’t trust the fraudulent locksmiths of Edmonton - call us if you’re having trouble with your lock and need help with getting back into your home.

Were You A Victim?

If you were the victim of a fraudulent locksmith, please file a complaint with the provincial government under the Consumer Protection Act to help bring increased awareness to the issue. Scammers hurt our industry and reputation, and leave unsuspecting victims out of pocket with little recourse.