New locksmith business questions

[kopykat]

Hi all,
I'm thinking of starting a locksmith business in Pennsylvania and I have a few questions I would like to ask.
1. Is it required to have a locksmith license in Pennsylvania? If so, where can one obtain such a license?
2. Alot of monster locksmith companies are getting alot of business from misrepresenting themselves as a local business, some have a fake addresses of their location in almost every zipcode possible. Is this illegal? Is this policed? How can an ethic business compete with something like that?
3. What other legal issues should I be aware of?

Thanks in advance for any response.

[kopykat]

Oh and one more thing,
What does it mean when a locksmith is bonded and insured?
Is this also a requirement in Pennsylvania? How does one become bonded and insured?

thanks again.

[freakparade3]

Bonding is an advertising go to the general public. It tells the public that you posses a bond and can be trusted on their premises. The bonding company will do a background check on each applicant. If you have a criminal record the bonding company can reject your application. As far as licensing in your state do a google search for laws in your state.

[jimb]

Bonding is similar to insurance. There are different types of bonding but usually a bond will protect who ever you do work for.

[pauly003]

I think SAVTA offers a $10,000 bond to all members. You have to pay a yearly dues, but i think it's under $200. Seems like a good deal considering all the other benefits you get from being a member.

[fsdhy]

I think SAVTA offers a $10,000 bond to all members. You have to pay a yearly dues, but i think it's under $200. Seems like a good deal considering all the other benefits you get from being a member.

If you don't wait to wait for SAVTA to approve your application (especially if you are new because they require industry references), just subcribe to Locksmith Ledger and pay the extra few dollars for their 20,000$ bond. Thats what we do.

[kopykat]

I tried googling weather Pennsylvania requires a locksmith license but didnt really come up with anything.

What about what i asked earlier about having multiple phone numbers in various areas, even though i dont really have a location there, is that illegal?

read the first post in the thread, those are my real questions.

[mark davis]

I'm not sure about the US but in the UK plenty of companies have loads of phone numbers, it's not illegal just a marketing ploy some customers like a free phone number others prefer local.
As for addresses that different but impossible to police, they can advertise a certain street in a town and if challeged simply say this is where our locksmith waits in his vehicle when not attending a call.

[kopykat]

yea, cause i know that here in the states there are a few real big locksmith companies that created an illusion to the public and the phone operators that they are everywhere, down to pretty much every zipcode. this way in some major cities they pretty much guarantee themselves 50% of anyone who calls information asking for a locksmith. seems a bit crazy, but i think its true.
i heard one company once bought 10,000 business landlines all over and eventually the phone company shut the lines down because it was a little bit overboard.

[mark davis]

I think you will find that this is pretty standard stuff for lots of companies not just locksmiths.