Television station WHTR in Indianapolis aired an extensive news report this week on locksmith scammers overcharging folks for car opening. They even got the scammers on camera!
“An Eyewitness News undercover investigation shows a growing number of locksmiths operating in Indiana use deceptive tactics to price gouge customers who are locked out of their vehicles. Consumer advocates say the tactics, most often deployed by out-of-state or multi-national companies posing as local locksmiths, are designed to confuse customers and to win business away from local companies that charge far more reasonable rates,” the story says.
Undercover investigators contacted 10 locksmith companies doing business in the area that advertised low rates. Each time, they recorded the price quotes and waiting time given over the phone. All of the companies that advertised $15 or $20 rates provided WTHR employees with on-scene estimates that exceeded $119. Dispatchers also promised 20-minute service every time but generally took closer to 90 minutes to arrive.
When reporters attempted to verify local addresses, many locksmith firms were found to have given incorrect addresses and to be out of state. One was using the address of an actual local locksmith.
Read this extensive article on the locksmith scammer industry at http://www.wthr.com/story/31988473/indiana-hit-hard-by-locksmith-price-scheme-indianapolis-car-lockout-overcharge
