Business Identity Theft

[DeeVeeEight]

I came across an alarming situation today. I have a small home maintenance business and as such I refer a good deal of business to local trusted business people that I know. I recently got a call from a very good customer of mine asking me to replace a lockset after the locksmith I referred her to did an abortion job on it (and she paid $120.00 cash for it). When I got to her home I found the door knob had been sheared off of the shaft. The customer informed me that the "locksmith" told her the lock was too old to repair and that he had to drill it out. (I had just installed the lockset a year or two earlier). He broke a drill bit off in the lock and trashed the lockset and left the customer like that. I was flabbergasted. Wait- it gets even better. I asked her who did this and she showed me the ad in the Yellow Book. It was the same name business as I referred her to but at a different address and phone number. The same thing happened when we looked on the internet, same name different addy and #. I called the number and asked for the business by name, I asked "Is this Haddon Locksmith" and the reply was "Yes this is the locksmith" I then more pointedly asked "Is this HADDON Locksmith" and I was told no, so I hung up on them. I then drove to their address to investigate, the address does not exist! My customer called the sham locksmith company back and requested service for the botched job - she was treated rudely and asked "if she was a single woman living alone" - she responded by telling them that she felt that was an inappropriate and unrelevant question - they informed her that she was being "insuboordinate and rude" and that she was just "looking for a freebie"! I later called the sham company and asked if I could drop off some locks to be re-keyed. I was informed that I could NOT come to their location, that they would send someone to me. When I asked where they were located and the woman said to me "I am sorry sir, you are breaking up" but I was on a land line (lying whore bitch). So they really are a scam outfit.

What action can be taken against this kind of rip off of both business and client?

Here I am all bent out of shape and it is my friends business, not even my own! Part of the issue I am having is that outfits like this make it hard for honest people who follow the rules to make a living.

Edit - By the way, I purchased a new lock and installed it at no charge for my customer. The actual time to remove the aborted lock and install the new one was maybe 5 minutes. Obviously the sham "locksmith" is incompetent too.


And just so all of you know who the shammers are, they go by "A Certified Locksmith.com (856) 477-9009....

 

[big2bird]

I came across an alarming situation today. I have a small home maintenance business and as such I refer a good deal of business to local trusted business people that I know. I recently got a call from a very good customer of mine asking me to replace a lockset after the locksmith I referred her to did an abortion job on it (and she paid $120.00 cash for it). When I got to her home I found the door knob had been sheared off of the shaft. The customer informed me that the "locksmith" told her the lock was too old to repair and that he had to drill it out. (I had just installed the lockset a year or two earlier). He broke a drill bit off in the lock and trashed the lockset and left the customer like that. I was flabbergasted. Wait- it gets even better. I asked her who did this and she showed me the ad in the Yellow Book. It was the same name business as I referred her to but at a different address and phone number. The same thing happened when we looked on the internet, same name different addy and #. I called the number and asked for the business by name, I asked "Is this Haddon Locksmith" and the reply was "Yes this is the locksmith" I then more pointedly asked "Is this HADDON Locksmith" and I was told no, so I hung up on them. I then drove to their address to investigate, the address does not exist! My customer called the sham locksmith company back and requested service for the botched job - she was treated rudely and asked "if she was a single woman living alone" - she responded by telling them that she felt that was an inappropriate and unrelevant question - they informed her that she was being "insuboordinate and rude" and that she was just "looking for a freebie"! I later called the sham company and asked if I could drop off some locks to be re-keyed. I was informed that I could NOT come to their location, that they would send someone to me. When I asked where they were located and the woman said to me "I am sorry sir, you are breaking up" but I was on a land line (lying whore bitch). So they really are a scam outfit.

What action can be taken against this kind of rip off of both business and client?

Here I am all bent out of shape and it is my friends business, not even my own! Part of the issue I am having is that outfits like this make it hard for honest people who follow the rules to make a living.

Edit - By the way, I purchased a new lock and installed it at no charge for my customer. The actual time to remove the aborted lock and install the new one was maybe 5 minutes. Obviously the sham "locksmith" is incompetent too.


And just so all of you know who the shammers are, they go by "A Certified Locksmith.com (856) 477-9009....

Unfortunately, there are no shortage of crooks these days. If half of them applied their energy toward a legit business, they could do well.:bomb:

 

[mrvette]

I came across an alarming situation today. I have a small home maintenance business and as such I refer a good deal of business to local trusted business people that I know. I recently got a call from a very good customer of mine asking me to replace a lockset after the locksmith I referred her to did an abortion job on it (and she paid $120.00 cash for it). When I got to her home I found the door knob had been sheared off of the shaft. The customer informed me that the "locksmith" told her the lock was too old to repair and that he had to drill it out. (I had just installed the lockset a year or two earlier). He broke a drill bit off in the lock and trashed the lockset and left the customer like that. I was flabbergasted. Wait- it gets even better. I asked her who did this and she showed me the ad in the Yellow Book. It was the same name business as I referred her to but at a different address and phone number. The same thing happened when we looked on the internet, same name different addy and #. I called the number and asked for the business by name, I asked "Is this Haddon Locksmith" and the reply was "Yes this is the locksmith" I then more pointedly asked "Is this HADDON Locksmith" and I was told no, so I hung up on them. I then drove to their address to investigate, the address does not exist! My customer called the sham locksmith company back and requested service for the botched job - she was treated rudely and asked "if she was a single woman living alone" - she responded by telling them that she felt that was an inappropriate and unrelevant question - they informed her that she was being "insuboordinate and rude" and that she was just "looking for a freebie"! I later called the sham company and asked if I could drop off some locks to be re-keyed. I was informed that I could NOT come to their location, that they would send someone to me. When I asked where they were located and the woman said to me "I am sorry sir, you are breaking up" but I was on a land line (lying whore bitch). So they really are a scam outfit.

What action can be taken against this kind of rip off of both business and client?

Here I am all bent out of shape and it is my friends business, not even my own! Part of the issue I am having is that outfits like this make it hard for honest people who follow the rules to make a living.

Edit - By the way, I purchased a new lock and installed it at no charge for my customer. The actual time to remove the aborted lock and install the new one was maybe 5 minutes. Obviously the sham "locksmith" is incompetent too.


And just so all of you know who the shammers are, they go by "A Certified Locksmith.com (856) 477-9009....

Unfortunately, there are no shortage of crooks these days. If half of them applied their energy toward a legit business, they could do well.:bomb:

UHH...in this case maybe another business???

BTW, ever seen/watched a locksmith work?? they have a special tool that looks like a Dremel with a mini saw blade sticking out the end....slide it in any pin tumbler lock and open that sob immediately....saw one work once on a rental I was fixing....crazy fast too...

Key locks are useless.....

 

[JPhil]

Jeez, I guess I'll have to be the first one to mention this....Call him to come open a lock on a storage locker in which are waiting 6 bikers with baseball bats.

 

[turtlevette]

Jeez, I guess I'll have to be the first one to mention this....Call him to come open a lock on a storage locker in which are waiting 6 bikers with baseball bats.

Hey, I've got a biker jacket, club and the urge to fuck someone up.


I'm in.

 

[DeeVeeEight]

I went through that yesterday - same feelings of rage and indignation - it is why I drove down looking for the addy, I was going to punch someones lights out - consequences be damned. When I found it was a bogus addy I went to the local P.D. and informed them that there was a sham/scam being perpetrated within their borders and on their watch.

My girlfriend brought up another possibility - what if these jerks are keeping a copy of a key to the jobs they do - and are later "visiting" uninvited? It follows with the inappropriate line of questioning my customer was subject to..... are you a single woman living alone.....man that pisses me off.

 

[TimAT]

There was a thing on the news in KC about the scam locksmiths. THere were close to 400 (that's right- 4 HUNDRED) listings in the KC Phone book. There were about 12 that went to the correct business. the rest went to an answering service that re directed the call. Missouri Attorney General got involved, lawsuits, Phone company disconnected lots of scammers phones.
Locked out of your car? No problem $50 and your door is open. OOPS, Sorry we had to use a special tool so the charge is now $120.

 

[DeeVeeEight]

There was a thing on the news in KC about the scam locksmiths. THere were close to 400 (that's right- 4 HUNDRED) listings in the KC Phone book. There were about 12 that went to the correct business. the rest went to an answering service that re directed the call. Missouri Attorney General got involved, lawsuits, Phone company disconnected lots of scammers phones.
Locked out of your car? No problem $50 and your door is open. OOPS, Sorry we had to use a special tool so the charge is now $120.

This is exactly what they are doing. Advertising a $40.00 service call for a lock out, when they arrive they drill out the lock, destroying it, then install an off the shelf lock and call it a high security lock and charge a premium for it, usually whatever the customer can afford to pay.

Do you have any more information on the K.C. Scammers and how it was handled? New Jersey needs to learn a thing or two about representing legitimate businesses interests - other than just taking our money for "licensing fees". I will be attending some business organization meetings to try and address the problem in NJ.

When we notify the state of NJ :zzz:- Division of Consumer Affairs :zzz: about bogus businesses like this, they respond by saying - Oh - you are just trying to eliminate your competition. :hunter:
Wrong! We want everyone to play on the same level playing field! That's all!

 

[mrvette]

I remember about the time I was buying a new work truck '89 Dodge Maxi, and Maryland Home Imp. Commission DEMANDED I put company name and Lic# on side of the truck in spec'd lettering....

so I did, lasted 3 months, truck locks Jersey hooked, and all my power tools taken, thank GOD that grand worth of compressor and nailers wasn't on board....

Fuck 'em, that afternoon the lettering was removed, from then on my trucks have NOTHING on them...bald eagle.....

:hissyfit::hissyfit::clobbered: