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The Call Andrew McColley, of Andrews Lock and Key in Mesa Arizona put his foot down after being called by a consumer asking for advice. The locksmith industry is plagued by con artists posing a professionals and Andrew had enough, and took action. Expecting to find an undocumented foreign national as typically found, he finds a young America kid named TY, who for the best I can tell at first glance is naive about someone who he believes is his "boss" instead of con artists or those involved in the criminal network of scammer dirt bags. The Dilemma Sadly, we are seeing more and more young under informed and employment desperate Americans being seduced into these unethical flim flams. They may not understand the bigger picture, they may have been instructed that this is normal or they may know and thus deserve exposure. I can only think that anyone finding out that they are being used in a con job scam, that they would take a step back and spill the beans on those who they call "the boss". The locksmith industry is hungry to find a young employable work force, so it is not impossible to walk away from the dirt bags and ask guys like Andy for a job. At least you would be trained properly and have a bona-fide career path. One big question at hand is, how is it that the bad guys are able to recruit these kids and the locksmith industry cannot? The Invoice As I stated early on maybe TY is naive and doing what he has been instructed to do by someone he believes is his boss. Maybe he doesn't know any better, maybe he actually believes this is how business is done, or maybe he is not as naive as he acts. The invoice was a screen capture from the video showing 24/7 locksmith at 866-777-1429. However a Google search results in only one reference to this number and it is an investigative report - http://www.thelocksmithpolice.com/precisionlocksandsafes.com.html. In this report we see the same shirt logo that TY is wearing.  Click to Enlarge The Charges Analyzing this video we hear that the consumer was quoted $43 over the phone. The invoice indicates a $14.99 service call & a labor charge of $29.99 which equals $44.98. Close enough! But what is the $244.99 charge for? It lists the Year/Make/Model, the color, the license plate, tools used, vehicle running, and a high security latch? What exactly is a "high security latch" on a Ford Focus? So is the consumer being charged for a "description" of the situation?  Click to Enlarge Similar Invoices?Source: YELP ustomer Reviews - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/24-7-complete-locksmith-service-tempe Look closely! Those mysterious High Security Latches seem to be everywhere!
 Click to Enlarge The Contract Young TY likes to point out that the consumer "signed" the generic invoice. There was no company name, and Ty would not identify his company so there is no "contract" with a ghost! But let's clear the air so the consumer understands how professionals perform such services when it comes to signing an invoice. Below you will see a common invoice that provides for two signatures by the customer. The fist signature (#1) is the Authorization For Services, which basically means you are representing yourself as a person having the authority to hire the locksmith to perform a task. If you mislead the locksmiths then you are committing fraud. It is at this point that the professional locksmiths will ask for your identification and record that information on the document. The second signature (#2) is where the customer would sign off on the completed job, indicating a satisfactory completion. This example does not include those words but as I mentioned, others have customized versions. If not found, either the locksmith should write it or the customer should decline signing it if they feel there is a problem.  Courtesy of Professional Business Products www.pbp2000.com - Click to learn more. That is how it Works!
Much like trade unions who choose to strike or those who assert their right to protest and stand up for what they believe is right, Andrew McColley of Andrews Lock & Key said enough was enough and had the chutzpah to do something about it. Something the majority of locksmiths and other locksmith associations only talk about. He confronted the issue head on and that is how it works! A word of advice to others like young TY, if you don't want to be exposed for what you are doing, then it is time for you to make choices. You can visit a professional locksmith and seek out advice and embark upon a career path with integrity or find yourself confronted, and possibly the next YouTube star. For Additional consumer advice, click the following links - Consumer Lockout Response & Service To Pick, Bypass or Drill a Lock? So was TY a bad boy? You decide. Add your comments below Pruchase professional business forms from Professional Business Products 800-355-6322 or visit www.pbp2000.com
1 Comment
4/20/2016 23:44:01
I had one of their former employees come by my shop this past week actually the day after Andrew exposed this guy and told me they post employment opportunity adds on craigs list and then schedule training sessions with numerous candidates all at once and basically teach them bait and switch techniques on how to turn those $43 quoted jobs into $300. Without informing the customer of the additional charges they open the car and immediatly take their keys and hold them hostage. Knowing if you call the police they will tell you it is a civil matter and will not respond. If the customer gets angry they can negotiate the price down to as low as $85 if needed. If the customer still refuses to pay double what they were quoted then the employee is to lock the keys back into the car and leave the customer stranded. I sure wish we could get into one of those meetings and video tape their training methods. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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