Tennessee Organization Of Locksmiths
Securing Tennessee and America through Professional Excellence
Consumer Information for Tennessee
Locksmtih Terms for the Consumer
General Consumer Information from Other Sources
Locksmith Scammers are Operating in Tennessee!
A basic value of TOOL is to help the consumer avoid being ripped off by scammers posing as locksmiths. These scammers don't just cost their victims money. They also can reduce
their victims security and do reduce the public confidence in the hundreds of legitimate locksmiths in Tennessee.
All Tennessee consumers should be aware that:
- The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance licenses locksmiths to do business in Tennessee. All persons offering locksmithing services to the public
are required to be licensed.
- Licensed locksmiths and apprentice locksmiths are required to carry their state issued identification card and present it
upon request. The card will have a photo of the locksmith, the name of the locksmith, the name of the locksmith's company, the locksmith's license number, and the
expiration date.
- Advertisements are required to have the license number of the locksmith's company displayed. However, be aware that phony locksmiths can and do put
copied or made up license numbers in their advertisements.
- Service vehicles are required to have the locksmith's company license number on the vehicle.
- A work order must be signed by the client before work is done.
- The client is to be kept resonably informed about the progress of the work.
- Information on currently licensed locksmiths and locksmith companies is available to the public. You may verify a locksmith's license at
the Department of Commerce and Insurance website. The information includes the name of the locksmith,
their address, and their license number.
TOOL members are professional locksmiths. However, a problem may arise that needs resolution. Should you desire help resolving an issue with a
TOOL member , feel free to contact one of our Officers or Board Members.
If you have a complaint against a Tennessee locksmith that is not a TOOL member, you may contact the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
for instructions and to file a report.
For convenience, the Locksmith Licensing Program Complaint form is available here.
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When talking to a locksmith, you may find that she is using terms familiar to you in a very specific way. Below are terms you may find helpful when talking to your
locksmith:
- bow: the part of the key that you grasp. Often there are numbers and letters that indicate what brand of lock the key will fit (Kwikset, Schlage, Yale, GM, Chrysler,
etc.).
- lock or lockset: the entire mechanism. It will include all of the parts mounted on the door. A leverset is a lockset that has a lever to grasp and turn. Others will have
knobs and some will have one of each.
- cylinder: the part where the key goes. Cylinders are constructed differently for knobsets and leversets, mortise sets, automobile locks, and cabinet locks. The part of
the cylinder that the key goes into is the keyway or key hole.
- keyway: the slot in the cylinder for the key. The key is shaped to fit it.
- original key: the key or keys cut to fit the lock. It is not a duplicate. It is incorrect to call it a "master key".
- duplicate key: any key that is copied from an original key or another duplicate key.
- master key: a key that is designed to operate many locks in a system that have different other keys that also operate them.
- pins, wafers, levers: the parts of the cylinder that interact with the key to prevent the wrong key from working the cylinder.
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The Federal Trade Commission has issued a consumer alert regarding Scammers posing as Locksmiths! Read the full article on the FTC website
The Associated Locksmiths of America has collected information about
Scammers and their locksmith scams.
See a story originally aired on WREG in Memphis.
The Better Business Bureau has issued a national warning about call centers masquerading as local locksmith shops. These companies are operating in the Nashville area and may be operating in other araes of the Volunteer State as well.
The BBB reports that the companies operate under a variety of names but all use similar methods. They are significantly overcharging consumers, charging consumers for unnecessary services, using intimidation tactics, and failing to give refunds or respond to consumer complaints.
" Ironically, these companies operate under names like ‘ Dependable Locksmith ’ but in reality they exploit the vulnerable situation of consumers who are locked out of their house or car " , said Steve Cox spokesperson for the BBB System. " We’ ve found that some locksmiths have made taking advantage of consumers’ misfortune part of their business model." .
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Tennessee Organization of Locksmiths,
Attn. Raiford Ball, Jefferson Lock and Safe, 344 Summit Hts. Dr., Jefferson City TN, 37760
© 2009-2012 by TOOL