WHY USE A MASTER LOCKSMITH?

I’m often called out to rectify repairs to locks, doors and frames for example, that have previously been repaired by other locksmiths. You see, with very little training, anyone can call themselves a locksmith. Have a look at the MASTER LOCKSMITHS ASSOCIATION (MLA) website and you’ll soon discover that the locksmith industry is not regulated in any way by the government. This leaves it wide open for anyone to set themselves up and essentially, charge what they want.
 

My advice is always use the MLA website to find a locksmith, rather than go with someone based on price. Often, cheap workmanship by a trader with little skill, will end up costing you a great deal more to have the work put right.

The MLA was originally set up in London by a group of locksmiths, to support each other and share good practice. It later became a national UK association to set and promote standards of conduct and practice within the industry. On the MLA website, you can see a list of some of thenon-MLA  companies claiming to be master locksmiths.

As a master locksmith I took several years to train and sat through some tough exams. In my opinion, you never stop learning when you are in a skilled trade. The current MLA general course takes 5 residential days to complete and that’s just for starters.

The picture in this blog post is of a door I was called out to repair after a so-called locksmith had left it in this state. Please don’t be fooled by cheap prices. If you are locked out for example, a master locksmith should be able to gain access without breaking your door or frame, or even your lock. An unskilled locksmith is likely to either break the door or the door frame and the lock. Once this happens, repairs are naturally going to be more costly.

MLA locksmiths are vetted and CRB checked (or DBS checked as it’s now called). Have a look at the benefits of using a master locksmith for more information.

The reason I’m telling you this is that it breaks my heart when I’m called out to repair the damage caused by others calling themselves locksmiths. Sometimes, I go to an elderly person’s home who thought they would get good service at a low cost, because they believe that no one could be that unscrupulous. Often these people don’t have a lot of money and are left with a huge bill to get the damage caused by the untrained locksmith fixed. Please, help me, the burglar annoyer as I’m affectionately named, and the MLA to raise awareness of how important it is to use lockmiths licenced by the Master Locksmiths Association.

Until next time, please keep your homes and loved ones safe.