Locksmith ripoffs: Hidden camera investigation (Marketplace)

It is a cold night at the end of November. And a woman sitting in the middle of an emergency. I'm locked out of my house. Help is on the way, they told him. But as we're about to find out... Hey! Sorry for waiting. There are no guarantees when choosing a

locksmith

. The woman, in fact, is a Marketplace producer. And this house is a testing ground that we have equipped with

hidden

camera

s. Well, I think they all look pretty good. Yes, it's pretty good. Our plan is to call the

locksmith

s over the next few nights. -There we go... -There, yes, we know that.

Checkpoint door and lock. We've heard a lot about this one. The companies we've heard about may not be treating us fairly. It says $15...15 minute response time. John Seitz is with us. He has ten years of experience as a locksmith and we hired him to help us with our test. I want to show you... we have some

camera

s installed. - Let's go in. - Sounds good. Together we'll be in a back room... And if I click here, we can get a closer look. Beautiful. Monitoring for signs of poor service and much more. Like what happens to Dorothy Sterling.

She just couldn't get the lock to work. He is 94 years old and needed the old lock on the front door fixed. And she kept trying and she just couldn't make it work because he didn't know what to do. The locksmith is inexperienced, he says, and at the same time threatening. He told me that he was going to remove the lock and leave me with nothing. Now it is his carpenter, Titus, who is cleaning up the mess left behind. As you can see here, he broke the door in several places. Titus feels bad because he was the one who found the locksmith.

So I called three different companies and the one that answered me first was Check Point. Online, Check Point promises security, trust and peace of mind. However, customers post reviews that use words like "awful," "overpriced," and "roadside robbery." As you can see, this is the lock they installed. The Check Point locksmith can't fix Dorothy's old lock. And the new one he installs is poorly designed. -Every time you turn this... -Are you crashing into that? You're hitting... your thumb would be hitting this right here. To make matters worse, Dorothy says they charge her double what they quote her.

And at the end of the ordeal, she pays $1,500. It was not a good experience for anyone. Especially for... a woman, alone. Back at our test house, we'll call Check Point. So that's the shell... But first, our expert John is helping plan our test, with a new lock that he's resetting. So you're replacing the pins with ones that would be easier to pick out? Yes. He says that almost anyone will be able to open this lock. Maybe even me. He gives me some advice. And then you will make the pins move up and down like the key would, one at a time.

And in about three and a half minutes... Take it all out? Take it all out, because it's collected. And then with a flat screwdriver you finish the turn. -That's all? -That's all. We are in. But is this a fair experiment? Yes. Obviously it has been made easier, I would call it a good test for beginners. So anyone who claims to be a locksmith should be able to get over it. As day turns to night we get our test underway... Hello, I hope you can help me, I'm locked out of my house... With a call to Check Point.

It is one of the cheapest quotes we found. How much do you think it usually costs then? Like 15, plus 35? It's more than an hour of waiting. And then... I think it might be him. Are you the locksmith? Are you check... are you Check Point? The only thing that quickly makes clear... There is no way to force the lock. No... No. It's not true, says our expert. Any locksmith who sees this lock should know that it can be easily picked, but his only solution is to drill. Does that mean it's more expensive? $350! Okay, because they said it would be like 35, plus...

Plus about 90 dollars for a new lock. Our producer again urges you to try collecting. Are you sure you can't just choose it? Can't you choose this? One year? That's what he said. He said it... that you couldn't pick this lock. Can you open that lock? I chose it in 3 minutes and 30 seconds with your help. And I do remind you that I didn't teach you very well. Before the exercise begins, we ask one more time. Okay, and you don't think we can choose him? Well. Well. He spends the next two minutes trying, but with no luck. Thanks for trying.

Locksmiths are supposed to ask for identification, proof that we live here, from the beginning. But this Check Point technician is already destroying our lock when he finally asks. Y-yes... Yes. Yes, I'm renting it, yes. I rent it, yes. Uh, I couldn't reach her today... but she's fine, she'll be fine. It doesn't finish the thought, but it does finish the work. You understood it. Includes new lock. Our expert, however, is not impressed. What are you thinking right now? That was everything he didn't want it to be. A bigger surprise awaits you when it comes time to pay the bill.

Well, how much? I am totally confused as to the price. No! No. If I give you cash, can you give like 450? And with this the call ends. Goodbye... We contacted Check Point. They admit that their locksmith should have asked for identification, put more effort into picking the lock, and should have quoted a final price before starting the job. Check Point is now updating its procedures. And he agrees to compensate 94-year-old Dorothy. This is your industry. Yes. This is the worst part of my industry. This is the worst part. I'm glad you're taking a good look at it, I've heard all about it, but it was sad.

That was really sad. It almost seems like you're taking it personally. This is my livelihood that I just saw someone make a joke about. This is your Market. Oh hey, are they locksmith experts? It's the second night of our test house and we're on the phone with a company called Locksmith Experts. I've locked myself out of my house, I can't find my keys. The Better Business Bureau says Locksmith Experts has a "pattern of complaints," mostly about overcharging. As one reviewer puts it, "these people aren't experts, they're thieves." The company admits it has some dissatisfied customers, but says most are satisfied.

Yes. Oh, how much, how much do you think I could be? We heard a similar quote from a different locksmith last night, and it ends up costing $450. He said the lock couldn't be opened and insisted on destroying it to let us in. Our expert John is back with us. he, he has reset a new lock to make it easier to open. This is the second night, what are you waiting for? I hope tonight is much better. Just a direct call, honesty, an attempt to open the lock. There we go, the car is arriving. Hello, are you my locksmith?

Hello I'm fine. He says his name is Serge and the next thing he says is the right thing. and a rental agreement to prove we live here... and immediately tries to pick the lock. Okay, okay, right? Oh, wow. Thank you! You're smiling, is this how it's supposed to be done? Yes, that's how it's supposed to be done. Unlike the many complaints we hear about Locksmith Experts, our experience with Serge is going well, until it's time to pay. How much can I give you? Oh yeah. Oh, wow. Well. $80 AND a Google review. Thank you. The problem is that it is against Google's guidelines to offer incentives for a review.

And when we tell the Locksmith Experts, they say it shouldn't have happened. It goes against their policy. But there are other things about this company that raise questions. For some reason they appear when you call Port Credit Locksmith. Or Brampton locksmith. Or locksmith Rouge. So we couldn't open the door and the next day we had a big meeting here in the garden... It was Birchmount Locksmith when Tom Gehrels called them last summer. I looked on Google Maps because I wanted to use someone local who had a good reputation, and I looked at three different ones, and I found this one called Birchmount Locksmith that, you know, seemed to be right on the same street as us.

They quote Tom a price of $30 for the service call. 45 onwards for lock replacement. So what was your impression of this locksmith when he showed up? The $45 "and up" now went to $100 just to open the door, plus $185 to replace the lock. Tom fights back and gets a discount, but what he really doesn't like is the fact that Birchmount Locksmith doesn't actually do the job. It turned out that he was working for a concord company called "Locksmith Experts". Sure enough, the receipt says Locksmith Experts. So what happened to Birchmount? We invite Tom to look for answers, up the street.

There are 530 there. Okay, so it's on this side of the street. Google Maps tells us that the Birchmount locksmith should be around here. What's the number again? 572. Well, this is a building at 570... And this should be 572. There's nothing here. It's just a vacant lot. There is no locksmith here. It does not seem. No. Why do you think they would choose this direction? I guess they just don't want to be found. Clearly something dirty is going on. We ask the Locksmith Experts to explain to us. They say they act as a subcontractor for many companies. And he didn't create any fake listing.

Back at our test house, we want to know how far counterfeiting goes in the locksmith industry. Well, this is right near where we are... So we tried Googling "locksmith near me" and found a company called Etobicoke Certified Locksmith. Just there. Yes, Etobicoke certified locksmith. Let's get it up. It's supposed to be right in the neighborhood. Hey, I'd like to know if you can help me. But when we call Certified and ask who exactly is coming, things get confusing. What is the name of the locksmith that appears? It's FC Locksmith. FC Locksmith claims to be one of the best locksmith companies in Toronto.

And it appears to have branches in Ottawa and Calgary. So why does FC appear as a certificate on Google Maps? We decided that instead of having a locksmith come to us, we will go to the locksmith. Then let's go to the Etobicoke certified locksmith, he says he's six minutes away. Certified Locksmith Etobicoke may be closed when you arrive. Our GPS points the way to a certified, or perhaps FC, locksmith and in minutes... There it is, 2975 Bloor Street West. -It's right there. -It's right there. That doesn't sound like a locksmith company. That doesn't sound like a locksmith company.

But it says here, 2975 Bloor Street West, Etobicoke Certified Locksmith. But Parama is there, it looks like... -A credit union. -A credit cooperative, yes. We discover that the deception does not end here. We found over 20 fake locksmith locations in Toronto claiming to be linked to FC Locksmith. Which makes us wonder about all these five-star reviews we see on FC's Google business listing. When we dig deeper, we discover that most of them are also fake. Dalton Fincher is actually American astronaut Clayton Anderson, seen here on the space shuttle Discovery. And Denver Cothron is actually Ian Roland, a lawyer who works right next door to us.

So we head to see if Ian Roland knows that his image is being used to promote FC Locksmith. This is the company here, you can see there are 57 reviews. And if I scroll down, there you are. That's your photo, right? Denver! - Is your name Denver? -Denver. Interesting. "The other day I was locked out of the car. "They responded immediately and resolved the problem. "The technician who came was a real lifesaver." I have no idea what that is about. I certainly wasn't locked out of my car. That is not you? That is not me. No, its not me.

Well, the photo is me, but nothing more. And I have no idea how they got it. There are many fake reviews on this site. I am a lawyer, it is an appropriation of my image. I may have to move on. -Thank you for that information. -You are welcome. A one-star review we managed to find on the FC's Google listing has a touch of irony. A man named Colin tells people not to use this company. He says the locksmith "smashed, scratched and dented" his door. FC responds that this is a fake review and says: "He's just one of our competitors." But we track down Colin, who doesn't want to appear on camera, and both he and the review of him are real.

FC denies allegations of fake reviews or locations. They say all those positive reviews could have been posted by anyone and they are checking with their marketing company about fake placements. This is your Market. We are mapping deception in the locksmith industry. Then you are at home. You are blocked. You want something close, you call something that seems ten minutes away. About ten minutes, maximum. -A local locksmith. -A local locksmith. And what you really get is a grocery store, not the locksmith company you called. Each of these red dots represents a supposed locksmith company in the Toronto area.

But after months of researching, we discovered that none of them are a real locksmith location. Here's what they really are... Pharmacies and retail stores. Parking lots and gas stations. Shopping centers and banks. It makes us wonder: how much can Google map searches really be trusted? Mike Blumenthal issearch engine consultant. Helps businesses gain exposure through local Google searches. In locksmithing, in appliance repair, in moving and opening garage doors. In any home services company, you see a lot of fake listings these days. What's wrong with that? Well, the damage is multiple. One is that legitimate companies cannot compete and the other is that it is very misleading to the consumer.

Many times, these companies that are willing to cheat on their listings are also willing to cheat on reviews, willing to cheat on who they send out for repairs. They could be sending people to your home who are not qualified to be there or who should not be there due to background issues. But doesn't Google have rules against fake listings? They have many rules against fake listings, but they don't enforce them. We informed Google and locksmith companies about all the fake listings we have discovered and they have now all been removed. Google says that due to our

investigation

, they are auditing all locksmith listings in Canada.

But Mike says it will take more than research like ours to solve the bigger problem. Trusting Google as a company to solve these problems goes further. After seeing this for 11 years, the only solution is political. It is necessary that there be standards at the regulatory level with serious consequences. Financial and perhaps even criminal consequences for both the companies that create fake listings and mislead people, and for Google. It's the only way, he says, to really close the door to deception.