Definitive Proof that Locksmith Licensing is a Con Job

Definitive Proof that Locksmith Licensing is a Con Job - What Your Not Being Told!

6/9/2013

This blog entry is PART #2 of the following news article - Mike Bronzell Exposes "Mobster" Meni Agababayev of Run Local Locksmith In ABC Nightline Sting - The LOOKOUT

Bill Weir, ABC News investigative reporter - The LOOKOUT.....are you licensed?!

When you watch the ABC NEWS locksmith sting operation, you see Bill Weir asking one person who is posing as a locksmith if he is licensed. This subliminal inference innocent or not - that locksmiths "should or could" be licensed is interesting since it has been repeated in many prior news broadcasts. It is also something that has been hotly debated within the locksmith industry, particularly since the majority of hard working honest locksmiths oppose it. Given the fact that this is a national news program, rather then regional, local or hyper local, it can give the viewer the misleading idea that every locksmith must need to be licensed - which is false.

Proponents of regulating the locksmith industry also have been shown to be engaging in the systematic attempt at eliminating the mobile service providers which make up 80% of the trade. Their argument is that "they are not legitimate" simply by nature of them not having a "walk in" location and that licensing or regulating someone is the ultimate symbol of legitimacy.

I don't know about you, but I don't recall seeing a plumber or electrician with a walk in retail location, so why pick on the locksmith about a walk in location? When you watch the entire episode of ABC's The LOOKOUT, I didn't see the TV Repairman being asked if they were licensed after they repeatedly scammed the elderly women? So at the end of the day you have to sit back and ask why? The Society of Professional Locksmiths has provided that answer and we have even presented articulate and thoughtful points to ponder, and we have come to the conclusion that Locksmith Licensing is in itself a great big con job.

For a long time now, proponents of forcing unwanted licensing upon the locksmith industry have been found scatter shooting all over the place with a variety of nonsensical excuses as to why the locksmith must be regulated. They claim that the only way to protect the consumers is to make sure these people are subjected to all kinds of screening, vetting, rules and regulations by consumer protection agencies, state licensing boards, state attorney generals, the Federal Trade Commission, and they pander these misconceptions to these people as well as the naive consumer.

SOPL Managing Director Barry Campbell sums up The LOOKOUT report and the situation as a whole as follows -

ABC's “The Lookout” erred in identifying Run Local Locksmith as anything but a legitimate locksmith company. They must be legitimate – they are LICENSED! Being licensed makes you a professional according to the proponents advocating for it, doesn't it? In state after state that requires locksmith licensing, Run Local is listed as having been issued a license, including New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, California, Oregon, and Tenneessee. So, to all the licensing proponents who make the claim that licensing locksmiths will protect customers and eliminate industry competition from scammers, thanks for legitimizing companies like Run Local!

Which is the real scam? A company like Run Local that jumps through the red tape hurdles and pays the appropriate fees to be approved for a license, or an organization that actively lobbies for licensing legislation in the name of consumer protection when these very laws approve companies like Run Local? If you believe that ABC's program shed some light on scammer operations and you pay dues to an organization that promotes the licensing laws that lend an air of legitimacy to these same companies, how do you feel about the way your money is being spent?

I was a little disheartened by a recent comment made by a locksmith that there was a thin line between being a good businessman and being a crook. That is only true when you expect legislation to determine ethics and it is only true if you measure success by how much money you make, in which case Run Local would appear to be successful. But locksmithing is an old and noble craft. Its practitioners protect their customers and their property much like medical practitioners protect their patients' health. If you operate with this in mind, ethics should never be a problem and success is better measured by your reputation. Run Local fails on both counts, but not because of any licensing law.

Barry touched on something very, very important. It is the larger companies in comparison to the smaller Mom & Pop operations that can play in this con game. The financial burden, red tape and often un-achievable barriers placed upon a small entrepreneur or new entrant ultimately leads to restriction of trade and the elimination of consumer choices which in turn creates monopolies, increased costs to the consumer, and lower quality service.

Locksmith licensing is a Con Job, scam, flimflam,or whatever you wish to label it. At the end of the day it is no better then what we have all witnessed with this Run Local news report....but they are a legitimate locksmith service.....according to the advocates of licensing, and the government regulatory agencies shown below.

New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety - Division of Conumer Affairs - Run Local Locksmith License

Texas Department of Public Safety - Run Local Locksmith License

California Department of Consumer Affairs - Bureau of Security and Investigative Services - RUN LOCAL LOCKSMITH License

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services - Run Local Locksmith License

Oregon Construction Contractors License Search -Run Local Locksmith License

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance - Run Local Locksmith License

After seeing all this, one has to question the motivations and agenda of those advocating licensing and also question whether these are really Locksmiths You Can Trust.

It looks like someone didn't do their homework! Be careful what you ask for, it might come back to bite you, and it looks like it has.

Below are other very important links with additional revealing information you NEED TO KNOW!

What do you think? Please post your comments.

Mike Bronzell Exposes "Mobster" Meni Agababayev of Run Local Locksmith In ABC Nightline Sting - The LOOKOUT

ALOA Proposes to Criminalize Acts of Locksmithing

NY Locksmith License Sponsor Senator Shirley Huntley Faces Arrest

Purple Heart Recipient Victimized by Locksmith Licensing Law - U.S. Army Iraq War Veteran Locked Out Of Profession For Rescuing Stray Dog

Arizona Law Review references the Society of Professional Locksmiths - Fighting Deceptive Marketing in the Twenty-First Century

Texas Auditors Afraid of Licensed Locksmiths - by T.F. Stern

Texas Showdown – Locksmith License Reform Opportunity

Are You A Professional Locksmith?

Everyone Wins a Fish? - Locksmith Marketing & Survival

Please help spread the word and Tweet or give us a Like below.

24 Comments

Jim Mullins

6/9/2013 06:05:43

So you don't want doctor's licensed, or electricians, or plumbers?

Barry Campbell link

6/9/2013 13:50:28

Mr. Mullins,

A doctor or an electrician or a plumber having a license is no assurance of quality or ability, but a pretty sure indicator of higher prices. As a matter of fact, I've never asked to see a doctor's license and would doubt you have either. Doesn't matter, even licensed, doctor error is responsible for over 250,000 deaths per year according to the Journal of the American Medical Association Volume 284 July 26, 2000 as reported here (http://www.joyfulaging.com/iatrogenic.htm), and please note that the study involved only hospitalized patients. Additionally, as reported on the same link, “According to a report by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 95 percent of doctors state that they have witnessed a major medical mistake. These errors are NOT rare, they are both common and frequent.” Not exactly confidence-inspiring, is it? Even the much more conservative numbers from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (http://www.gao.gov/cghome/healthcare/img44.html) show more deaths due to medical errors in hospitals than due to car accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS.

Just to keep beating this dead horse since you saw fit to bring it up, see “The Medical Monopoly: Protecting Consumers or Limiting Competition?” at http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/medical-monopoly-protecting-consumers-or-limiting-competition, which states, “Licensure laws appear to be designed to limit the supply of health care providers and restrict competition to physicians from nonphysician practitioners. The primary result is an increase in physician fees and income that drives up health care costs.

“At a time government is trying to cut health spending and improve access to health care, it is imperative to examine critically the extent to which government policies are responsible for rising health costs and the unavailability of health services. Eliminating the roadblocks to competition among health care providers could improve access to health services, lower health costs, and reduce government spending.”

I don't know about you, but I'd rather choose a doctor, or any other professional, by way of trusted referrals, not because they may have met some minimal standard set by government bureaucrats. There is a whole field of medical malpractice attorneys who would be out of work if licensing actually engendered quality or ability.

The point of the blog post, which you appear to have missed, is that companies known to be scammers within the industry, caught in the act of performing poor services and misrepresenting their pricing to customers by the media, and having an F-rating by the Better Business Bureau can still get a license by most, if not all the states that have instituted licensing. Licensing is, has been, and always will be a failure as means to provide protection for consumers.

Just as importantly, licensing is a restriction on free trade, as pointed out in Capitalism Magazine's article “The Protection Racket of Occupational Licensing” (http://capitalismmagazine.com/2012/10/22445/), which reports,”Across the nation, millions of entrepreneurial Americans seek to create jobs, pursue their passion, or simply make a few extra dollars by starting their own business. But often, they are forced to abandon their dreams, not because they lack talent or capital, but because they do not have the government’s permission.

“New Jersey resident Ernie Arias is one example. His business installs home entertainment equipment and he decided to add security systems to his list of services. However, the state of New Jersey requires more than three years of classes and experience before it will grant an occupational license to locksmiths and security installers. Arias abandoned the idea, saying, “There’s no way I could put in all that time and spend probably $2,000 on classes. You can build a house in New Jersey quicker and easier than it takes to get the license you need to put locks on the house.”

You would do well to remember that,”Some of the most famous lawyers in American history, including Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo, had no license from the state. Their customers decided whether they were worthy of being hired.

“Competition is better than government at protecting consumers from shoddy work. Furthermore, licensing creates a false sense of security. Consider this: When you move to a new community, do you ask neighbors or colleagues to recommend doctors, dentists, and mechanics even though those jobs are licensed? Of course. Because you know that even with licensing laws, there is a wide range of quality and outright quackery in every occupation. You know that licensing doesn't really protect you.” (John Stossel, http://reason.com/archives/2010/03/11/the-right-to-work)

For even more, I recommend the Institute for Justice's publication, “License to Work,&

6/9/2013 14:12:25

For even more, I recommend the Institute for Justice's publication, “License to Work,” which can be seen at http://www.ij.org/license-to-work-release-5-8-12 and includes data regarding licensing in all states. It reports that locksmithing is subject to the 69th most burdensome requirements and is the 60th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.

Regarding the blog post again, you really only have two options. One, support Run Local as a legitimate business because they have the required state licensing or; two, admit that licensing fails to protect consumers from predatory companies.

The good news is that state licensing boards are under fire from the FTC. “In a case that could have broad reaching implications not only for North Carolina, but nationwide, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") has contended in a complaint that the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners does not have sovereign status as an instrument of the State and therefore is subject to FTC regulation. Further, the complaint appears to contend that an occupational licensing board constituted of members of a regulated profession is a per se violation of anti-trust laws. If all of the 53 occupational and professional licensing boards in North Carolina have similar statutory enabling powers and a similar make-up of licensees on their boards, the ramifications in North Carolina are quite serious.”

(http://administrativelaw.ncbar.org/newsletters/administrativelawyermarch2011/ftc-contendsnoexemption)

Reid Skinner

6/9/2013 15:11:05

I am from North Carolina and yes the system is not perfect. Things sometimes slip through. We had a company called Dependable that scammed lots of people across the state before finally getting them out. ( they were pretending to be locksmiths but drilled out locks and then charged up to $400 to replace the locks they destroyed)
Also we nearly had to apply for an alarm license because the Alarm board was attempting to revise their law( which had been in effect since before 1990) to include access control. Their law did not define access control, which meant anything from a simple slide bolt to the most expensive access control unit. We had them exempt from our law since several locksmith companies has alarm businesses also. We still have some fine tuning to do but at least we have our foot in the door and no one else can regulate our trade to license us under their umbrella.
And we do have a lot of small mobile lockshops and Mom and Pop stores.
I could ramble on in defense of licensing of our trade and others could do the same against, but it comes down to each profession to do what they feel is right for them in the best interest of ALL their members.

Tom Lynch link

6/9/2013 15:40:04

Hey Reid! Great to have you contribute here. I am sorry I missed seeing you at the last NCLA show. I was unable to attend this year. I hope your doing well. Your a good guy, and your points are appreciated. If you find the time, try to contact me so we can chat.

Bryan Gatward link

6/9/2013 18:14:00

I think some of you are missing Toms point. So why pick on the locksmith? Why are we being singled out? There are scammers in every profession. When you watch the entire episode of ABC'sThe LOOKOUT, I didn't see the TV Repairman being asked if they were licensed after they repeatedly scammed the elderly women. ABC's “The Lookout” erred in identifying Run Local Locksmith as anything but a legitimate locksmith company. They must be legitimate – they are LICENSED! Being licensed makes you a professional according to the proponents advocating for it, doesn't it? In state after state that requires locksmith licensing, Run Local is listed as having been issued a license, including New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, California, Oregon, and Tennessee. So, to all the licensing proponents who make the claim that licensing locksmiths will protect customers and eliminate industry competition from scammers, What say you? Ethics should never be a problem and success is better measured by your reputation. Run Local fails on both counts, but not because of any licensing law.

6/10/2013 01:47:09

Barry, that was a yes or no question.

L Frascella

6/10/2013 03:12:23

https://www.google.com/#gs_rn=16&gs_ri=psy-ab&tok=UD6qETdlEJGaccxE83FG7w&suggest=p&cp=19&gs_id=ty&xhr=t&q=washington+dc+locksmith&es_nrs=true&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=washington+dc+locks&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47534661,d.aWc&fp=85e440c1310b44c5&biw=1440&bih=737

6/10/2013 05:33:55

No. But let me ask you - if you had been using the services of a doctor, electrician, or plumber and were happy with their services over the years but then found they hadn't renewed their license, would you refuse to use them? Did they suddenly become incompetent without that piece of paper?

James Hanna link

6/10/2013 03:05:31

Thanks for pointing this out Barry. I watched the locksmith portion of this episode and had my fellow technicians watch as well. I didn't realize what they had said about licensing (bad speakers on the laptop). I've mentioned to other locksmiths in the state about state licensing and they always tell me they would be against it even though there are people operating as locksmiths in this state with criminal records. I've always felt that locksmithing licensing was a plus, especially since tow companies, taxis and car opening companies have to get licensed as locksmiths if they perform locksmith services (in some areas). Now I'm not sure it would make a difference.

In the last state I was in, Missouri, no state license required but city license was. I had to be bonded as well, before the license issue. Some customers would ask if I was licensed and bonded and I was but that only meant that the city checked me out first and that an insurance company was willing to bond the license (not me, as per the city ordinance) for a mere $50/year. The customers don't realize that bonding only protects the city from suits, at least in this instance.

On another note, most locksmiths that start their own company start mobile only and most stay that way. That's what I did. If a plumber, electrician or appliance repair person doesn't need a brick and mortar store to be legitimate, neither do we.

Fitz FitzPatrick link

6/10/2013 03:44:29

The licensing that ALOA is promoting is just another attempt to control the trade, for instance they would be the only 'legitimate' testing organization, so they get to decide. On the governmental side, it is a way to add more of your dollars into their pockets, pure and simple, it has NOTHING to do with protecting the public. If the goal really was to protect the public, then when the scammers come out with the bait and switch, they would call it what it is -FRAUD- and then arrest the scammers, they are committing a crime after all. But they don't, they wish to legitimize the illegitimate by offering it to them under the guise of officially sanctioned state licensing. By the way, it is also a crime to falsely advertise by misrepresentation, so when you see the internet ad showing a 'locksmith' operating out of that vacant lot, insist they prosecute. We don't need, nor really even want licensing. But we would like to see the scammers prosecuted, convicted (and deported as the case may be) for the actual crimes they are committing.

Ken Bess link

6/10/2013 05:18:39

I have been in the business since the 70's and I don't recall anyone asking if I had a license. NY state does not require one and I agree that a license does not make you good at anything. Look at all the lousy drivers out there.

Raiford Ball

6/11/2013 08:15:25

hLicensing is not perfect and enforcement is spotty and needs to be strengthened. However, I have a very simple question. What do the opponents of licensing propose as a way of protecting the public from the scammers and ripoff artists in any profession? (By the way, when Thomas Jefferson was a lawyer, licensing was not required of many professions, including doctors.)

6/11/2013 11:34:00

Educating the public would suffice........ :))

6/11/2013 11:54:46

And Thomas Jefferson went on to be President of the United States....all that without a license.

Ralph Forrest-Ball link

6/11/2013 14:10:05

It's too bad we don't live in a world where all the good locksmiths wear white hats and all the bad ones wear black hats. If we did, all the scammers would have to do is start wearing white hats.

There is no single criterion which identifies the scammers. But you can easily make a list of clues which warn you that you might be dealing with a shady locksmith. Here's a sample...

Does the company fail to comply with local laws (such as licensing)?
Do they quote a really low price on the phone and then double or triple it when they arrive?
Do they not give written estimates before starting the job?
Does the technician show up in an unmarked vehicle?
Do they demand to be paid in cash?
Is the company name on the invoice different from the name in the phone book?
Is the company's address a PO Box?
Does the dispatcher who answers the phone fail to say the company's name?
Is the tech poorly dressed?
Did the tech fail to ask for your identification?
Does the tech reach for a drill without even TRYING to pick the lock first?

NONE of these items by themselves are definitive proof of anything, but taken as a whole, they do give you clues to figure out who you're dealing with. Yes, it would be foolish to rely on any single item as a litmus test, but that doesn't mean you should throw the list away.

Regardless of whether you think licensing is a good idea or not, the fact remains that if you live in a state where licensing is required and the company you call isn't licensed, then they are breaking the law, and that fact would give you some information about what kind of company you're dealing with.

Glenn Younger

6/12/2013 05:18:52

Well said Ralph.
As a follow up to the above article I am filing a complaint with the State of California BSIS regarding Run Local Locksmith. Hopefully SOPL members and others will do the same in their states. If we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem.

I don't believe having a drivers license makes you a better driver but I know that if you DO NOT have a drivers license I should be very careful driving near you.

So having a locksmith license does not tell me much about someone posing as a locksmith, but Not having a license, when one is required, tells me volumes.

6/12/2013 12:02:32

Glenn, it is good to see you lurking in the blog again. I would have thought you joined the SOPL by now since your always showing up. I know, I know...the SOPL is kinda like that hot club where all the pretty girls are...you want to go in but your afraid your mom will find out. We won't tell.

Here is the link to join, I know you have the money - https://www.igroops.com/forms/register.cgi?GRP+00011542++TomLynch

What complaint can you make? The state made them legitimate by awarding them an occupational license, and those in your state and associations who promoted the need for licensing are responsible.

Nobody knew these guys and others were licensed? Helloooooo, who is at the helm?

Just curious what the complaint will be to California about a news story in New Jersey? Do tell.

6/13/2013 03:19:55

Honestly Glenn, how much mileage do you really think you are going to get out of filing a complaint about that company?
It will only be interpreted as a personal opinion by the authorities and get swept with all the others into file #13.

When I speak to locksmiths about this licensing issue it's funny where the conversation eventually ends up. At first, it's a load of righteous nonsense like I've been reading here, then it goes to a feeling of inferiority that drives pro licensing, they want to make themselves look important. After that, it immediately goes to cutting down the competition, fear that their old business model is failing, and they are looking for someone to blame for it's failure.
This behavior seems only to come from the older locksmiths with larger companies.
The younger locksmiths that are pro licensing get right to the point......they would like the competition cut down.....kids are funny aren't they........grown ups are just plain goofy.

Bill Partington's A H C Safe & Locksmith link

6/14/2013 06:25:54

I would like to be a member of a locksmith organization that encouraged locksmiths to have background checks, have a verified address listing and contact information, What organizations should I join?

6/14/2013 07:04:43

Well Bill, since the SOPL was the first to "really" do a background check and since you are already a member, I think you answered your own question. A strange questions considering the topic of the blog is about how licensing is a con job. Aren't you still a member of the CFLA? I see you are. Nice directory by the way, maybe you can volunteer to help the SOPL make ours more complete. Let you fellow members know if your willing to participate in helping.

6/14/2013 07:38:45

Thanks for the quick response Tom..Yes, I am currently a member of CFLA, SOPL and ALOA, as well as DHI. I like to be in favor of things, and if some kind or registration was the hallmark of a professional locksmith, instead of state licensing, I am in favor of that. I will happily suggest that the CFLA members become knowledgeable about SOPL so that they can enjoy all of the benefits.

Richie Martin

6/18/2013 17:54:20

Aircraft mechanics are the only "trade" licensed and monitored by the federal government. There are 3 levels of license "A" = airframe, "P" = powerplant. Most aircraft mechanics hold what they call the "A&P" license. There is also an "AI" aircraft inspector license that requires a valid "A&P" license. 2 years of an approved school or 4 years of an approved apprentise program are required before being allowed to take the test. Not just a written test but 2 days of hands on testing as well.

This is just my opinion but I don't see a need to license anyone who is unlocking cars or installing deadbolts on aunt Jane's tool shed. But I don't have a problem being trained, tested, background checked and certified to design, install and service the various devices used to provide physical security on public access facilities. I had to hold the highest level license issued by my states gaming commision to work as a locksmith in a casino. The 2 guys before me and the one who took my place were also issued that same license and none of them had any locksmith training or experience at all. So, I don't think the problem is the license, the problem is who issues the license and what the license means. Like you said, having a drivers license doesn't mean you know how to drive.

Richard A Berrios link

7/20/2013 07:48:15

Licensing always worked in favor of the Honest hard working locksmith,
Recently the scammers Run Local Locksmith and others have paid existing member's of National Locksmith Association with large sums of money to be sponsored?
These scammers will stop at no lengths to keep what they have going and will incriminate others doing so!
We need to be vigilante as a professional skilled trade and stick together to weed these scammers out forever!
www.transponderkeyshawaii.com

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Definitive Proof that Locksmith Licensing is a Con Job - What Your Not Being Told!

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