Not all locksmiths are honest. Sadly, it seems that the only times people notice this fact is when they get into a bad situation. All over the United States, reports of people getting overly charged for simple locksmith services are pouring in, and to make matters worse, it seems that not enough information is getting out on how to deal with these scammers.

The situation in fact has grown to an alarming state that even the BBB or Better Business Bureau has issued a warning advisory regarding these bait and switch tactics of scamming locksmith. If you're looking for a locksmith Columbia MD, here's a story of how bad it can be.

A certain individual living in Columbia was interested in having all his locks rekeyed due to personal reasons. Not knowing anything about rekeying or locksmiths he took the yellow pages and picked a Columbia MD locksmith company which was near him, he asked as to how much was going to be the cost of the rekeying and was told that he would probably be paying anywhere from $125 -$150.

Since the price seemed reasonable enough, the man agreed and had an appointment scheduled in. After the appointed date a man arrived in an unmarked van and identified himself as the locksmith. Trusting that everything was fine, the individual presented all the locks that needed to be rekeyed. The locksmith took another look at the locks and told the man that it would be impossible to rekey the locks and the only option would be to replace all of them.

To make the story short, the man agreed to have the locks replaced. After the work was complete the technician told him that the amount due was $450. Getting caught by surprise the man asked how the bill got that high. But since the new keys were in the locksmith's hand, he eventually gave in. The man asked for a receipt but was told that he needed to submit a written request in the locksmith's office. After the deal was over, the man went to the address of the so called office only to find out that it wasn't there.

This story is very frustrating and unfortunate, and it's just one of many that you will be able to find out there today. It's also very avoidable. So, how will you be able to avoid scammers in Columbia MD or anywhere else in the United States?

Here are a few things to remember if you're looking for Columbia MD locksmith. Never pick a company at random as this will increase your chances of running into scams. Try to find a good locksmith before you even need one. This will save you not only time but also money in the long run. If you're a member of triple A you might want to consider using their locksmiths instead. Be wary of locksmiths coming in unmarked vehicles, and refuse while you still can. Ask for references, your friends might have a good idea on some of the better serving locksmiths out there, you certainly need their services and having another loyal customer is very much welcome to them. If you check the resource box you will see a locksmith in Columbia MD that I recommend using.