I recently moved to Minot ND for my job. Even though my company provided me a residence near the office, I did not like the area and decided to rent out an apartment right on the beachside. My colleagues warned me about deceptive landlords in town, but my landlord was a sweet old lady who handed me a single key and assured me there were no copies. My mistake, I trust people immediately!
One day, I came back from work and found my apartment door open right when I was about to insert the key. I immediately called the police. Thank the Lord, there was not a burglary, but the officer advised me to hire a locksmith and change the locks.
Honestly, it was the best advice I got ever since I moved to town.
Later on, I got to know that my apparently “sweet” landlady did have a spare key and frequently accessed the apartment to see how I am keeping her place! I felt so stupid and searched for the best locksmith companies the very same day.
I could not afford to pay the advance for a new apartment so I had no other choice but to stick with this one. My colleagues also helped me out.
If nothing else, I learned many tips on how to find good locksmiths in town. For starters, you must always ask for a quotation upfront and insist on getting a written estimate. Many shady locksmiths increase the invoice at the end with surprise charges.
Another interesting tip I came across was that one must check the vehicle that the locksmith drives. It must be the one with the lockout company logo printed on it. Otherwise, an independent locksmith may be con-artists disguised as a locksmith waiting for an opportunity to access your home.
This may sound all too scary but believe me, these tips and research saved my life. Especially, when I was already backstabbed by my landlady.
After learning all the tips and doing research, I finally decided to hire this lockout service in town that specializes in both car lockout and residential locks. A decent guy named, Mark, came to my property and checked my locks. My colleague insisted that I verify his ID, so I asked for his identification. He presented his company’s card and I called the company to verify. Now, here comes the twist.
My heart skipped multiple beats when the company’s representative said, “No guy named, Mark, works for us”. And there he was, standing in my house, looking around while I held the phone in my hand in shock. My heart was pounding and I had cold strips of sweat dripping off my face.
But, in the midst of this panic, I managed to keep calm expressions and sent a text message to my neighbor. Thankfully, my neighbor was home and he immediately arrived. We asked the guy named Mark to leave as we did not require his services anymore. He tried to contest but eventually left.
With multiple things going wrong, one after the other, I did not stay quiet. I reported Mark and the locksmith company to the local authorities. It turned out many complaints had already been registered against them. After a month, I got to know, the company’s license was canceled, and they were all over the news.
The moral here is that no matter how legit someone seems, you must do a thorough background search and hire someone who is recommended to you by family, friends, or colleagues.
