Josh-the-Locksmith
25 Years Experience
Austin, TX
Male, 46
I've been a locksmith since 1998. I did automotive residential & commercial work from 1998 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, I did some residential, but mostly commercial work. I have been project managing & estimating since 2018. I used to locksmith in the Chicago area, now the Austin area.
That is strange. I haven’t done automotive work in 12 years, so unfortunately I can’t help. If you’ve already taken it to a locksmith, I would have to say the dealer would be your next option before wasting any more money on more fobs or locksmiths. Sounds like there is a bigger problem. Sometimes aftermarket fobs can be junk depending on where they are purchased, but I would bet the locksmith probably ordered from a respectable distributor.
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Of course. We can't unlock everything. At some point, usually when the time spent trying to pick a lock outweighs the cost of drilling/breaking and replacing it; or if a lock has been designed to withstand manipulation, you’re only left with a couple options. Recommend the customer calls someone else of they don’t want you to break & replace something, ask if they can wait for a more experienced tech can come out, or allow us to break it and replace it at an additional cost. Usually they just want to get in, so we tactfully drill it open and replace the damaged parts.
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Locksmith pricing varies quite a bit by market. I can only guess $100 to $200? A locksmith should be able to quote you over the phone for that a pretty accurate price. If they give you some BS like “starts at $25” call someone else. There’s a lot of scammer locksmith services who hire subcontractors and they get paid by commission based on what they charge you.
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I have been asking myself that for 20 years. I didn’t pursue this job, it basically fell in my lap. I said I would do it until I found something I really wanted to do. Still waiting...
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Fashion Model
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What happens when NEITHER driver is at fault?
No idea, I never hear from them. Kind of just do this to help people out. I don’t even get any kickback by doing this.
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I’m sorry it doesn’t work that simply. It’s the same as if I handed you a $20 bill and wrote on it “do not accept this”. It’s up to the cashier if they want to take it or not. It’s the same with a key that says “do not duplicate”. If the guy at Walmart wants to copy it, he can copy it. At our locksmith shops, we copy them, but usually make people sign a waiver releasing all liability on us.
If you want key control I’d recommend 2 options. 1. Install a keypad lock and don’t give your tenant the key. Give them a code. If they move out, reset it the code. 2. Install high security locks with true restricted patented keys. It will cost $125-200 per lock, $15-20 per key, but that’s the price you pay for a patented key system.
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Well I would stay away from EZ Set, they're garbage. Apparently they have gotten to be harder to find as well. Assuming you're talking about a long pull handle with a thumb button, every model of every brand is a different length. I would go with Schlage or Kwikset. Much better quality. I I believe it's Schlage that makes them with an adjustable bottom post. That way you're not stuck having to find one that matches up perfectly, it will actually slide up and down to accommodate 1-2 inch differences. It should tell you the range it covers on the box. So measure your door from the center of the 2-1/8" hole to the center of the bottom hole. However, if you're replacing the deadbolt as well, EZ Set uses a Kwikset keyway, and Schlage uses a Schlage keyway. So you wouldn't be able to rekey it to your existing key, you would just have a separate key for your front door. Otherwise, you will have to find a Kwikset handle that matches close enough.
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