joining the mla

[Rickthepick]

I recently looked into joining the MLA and was horrified at the costs LOL
Firstly you cant join unless you have trained on their course and sat their exams, then you still have to pay a subscription each year to remain a 'member'
I seriously doubt they hold that much weight in the locksmith world to justify those prices...
Anyone a member?
Correct me if im wrong but i doubt they can pass that much work to you and what happens if you clash with another local member

[Legion303]

I wonder what the law says about registering a shell corporation called "My Locksmithing Associates" and then branding your shop with "proud member of the MLA."

-steve

[Tyler J. Thomas]

I wonder what the law says about registering a shell corporation called "My Locksmithing Associates" and then branding your shop with "proud member of the MLA."

-steve

Heh. Good question!

I seriously doubt they hold that much weight in the locksmith world to justify those prices...

With the exception of ASIS, I don't think any locksmith/access control-oriented association carries much weight with anyone, despite what they think or say.

[viking84]

I recently looked into joining the MLA and was horrified at the costs LOL
Firstly you cant join unless you have trained on their course and sat their exams, then you still have to pay a subscription each year to remain a 'member'
I seriously doubt they hold that much weight in the locksmith world to justify those prices...
Anyone a member?
Correct me if im wrong but i doubt they can pass that much work to you and what happens if you clash with another local member

Rickthepick,

Try Associated Locksmiths of America. It is an international association of security professionals and runs $205 USD for annual fees. Not too bad, but they are having a huge convention next year in Las Vegas!

https://www.aloa.org/membership/Test/index.php

[wpg]

Has anyone heard about the Society of Professional Locksmiths? ( http://www.sopl.us). Just wondering if others are members.

I did a search on LP101 and found no posts which struck me as odd.

Thanks!

[peterwn]

I wonder what the law says about registering a shell corporation called "My Locksmithing Associates" and then branding your shop with "proud member of the MLA."

-steve

This is called 'passing off'. Expect a letter from MLA's lawyer. if you do not desist MLA would take you to court and would win hands down.

[tomcat]

The SOPL is the original peer driven organization that presented online training and testing to the locksmith industry and it is not only "not a joke", but it is now the new standard that others are now attempting to emulate. The SOPL has created a responsible pedagogical environment with a complete and structured blended learning experience which has been approved by state consumer protection agencies responsible for locksmith licensing and continuing education. No joke there.

As far as people not getting along with others, this is not the case. The SOPL formed as a result of the corruption and failure of those who claim to be "Locksmiths You Can Trust" who were not. If anyone can tell me where $326,000 is that was listed on tax returns for a program that never existed...I would be willing to listen. Can anyone explain it? Others can't, and it has nothing to do with getting along with others.

If those who believe that expecting being honest and ethical is a bad thing then I guess your right, people won't get along with others but are they the bad guys or the ones they don't agree with? Interesting logic.

The SOPL has extremely high traffic, higher then others. No joke here either, do your research and don't listen to jokers, otherwise the joke will be on you.

[Legion303]

tomcat: what exactly are you responding to?

-steve

[tomcat]

The two prior posts which appear to have been removed by admin.

[RigaMortice]

In the UK a certain subcontracting locksmith company, who I won't shout the name of, is apparently pushing for a regulatory body.

This company is also expecting it's locksmiths to complete either courses if they want any work from them.

I wouldn't be surprised if the MLA was a front runner for something like this. It's a nice concept, I just get the impression it's an excuse for certain companies to demand their training completed.

Feel free to correct me if this sounds a bit offkey. (Haha bad pun.)

[bobhdus]

Has anyone heard about the Society of Professional Locksmiths? ( http://www.sopl.us). Just wondering if others are members.

I did a search on LP101 and found no posts which struck me as odd.

Thanks!

I'm a member of the SOPL (Society of Professional Locksmiths) and I have no regrets. $150 for the first yr and then $100 after that. You can also accumulate "virtual dollars" (vr's) for participating on their "forums". The vr's are redeemable for training opportunities etc... The vr's helped pay for my membership dues the second year. They have a great network of people that do a great job of helping each other learn necessary skills and also with gaining opportunities to make money through training.

There are quite a few SOPL members here. It's a growing org but not near as big as ALOA which is not a bad thing. The leadership is small but highly active. There are a lot of ALOA's member there as well including the ALOA President. One of the coolest things I took part in was one of their online training classes where you use your speaker/ mic and webcam on your computer and they laid out the presentation through their Administrator/ Webcast. I learned a lot from that class and I didn't even have to leave my house. It's a great network of people. I don't want to sound like a commercial but I can't say enough good things about the SOPL.

[jt9563]

To somewhat Necro an old thread, this is exactly the experience I have just had. I've been trading for a couple of years now and am VERY proud of how my company has come along. Upon enquiring with the MLA on member fee's it came to £700 give or take. I nearly fell off my chair. I enquired if there were something a little cheaper that would show my support for regulation within the industry but wasn't going to send me bankrupt. The answer:

The MLA has launched a new membership category.
The "Associated" category is for those locksmiths who want to join as personal members and have
been trading as full time locksmiths for 3 years or more. 2 Trade references confirming this will be
required (either from a suppliers or one from a fellow locksmith) and a satisfactory CRB check will be
required also. The standard MLA application process will then be followed and once the application
has been approved then those joining will be able to enjoy the significant benefits that personal
membership brings including:‐
∙ ID Card
∙ Free copy of Keyways (the MLA’s journal)
∙ Attendance at Regional Meetings
∙ Access to the MLA forum
∙ Discounted MLA training & exams
∙ Supplier Discounts
∙ Significant vehicle discounts
∙ Payment processing deals
∙ Specialist & Discounted Insurance
∙ Various other discounted services
Similar to some other personal membership categories this is non‐voting, and use of the logo or
claims of membership will not be permitted in marketing material.
Those wishing to progress to gain full benefits of using the logo and promotion on the MLA site etc.
will have the opportunity to find out more about the qualification and inspection requirements
associated with advancing to become an MLA Approved Company.

I don't really get it to be honest, for a non-profit organisation, this seems to be purely a money making membership.

The MLA moan about the 350'000 (or whatever it is) unregulated locksmiths out there, but is that really THAT surprising given the cost of becoming regulated. Don't get me wrong, I do not claim to be a "master" locksmith, nor do I sell my services in this manner. I am however, a very competent locksmith who prides myself on my professionalism. As an example, as it stands, I do not have the kit to pick a 114/110 and only get about 2 calls a year to do so, for this I have a master locksmith I subcontract it to, but the MLA demands that I be able to pick it though to be a member. It seems to me that if the MLA REALLY wanted regulation within the industry, they need many more member types and VASTLY reduced costs!