I REAAAAAALY hate Pop-A-Lock!

[AlwaysLearningDavid]

I don't know if you have Pop-a-Lock in your area, but I'm guessing you have someone similar.

They're basically a crap company that hires anyone, gives them 5 minutes of training, and sends them out charging insanely low prices and gives their employees insanely low percentages while expecting their employees to pay for gas and use their own vehicle.

I hate them so much, I don't think I can take it.

To start, they just give locksmiths a bad name. I've come to cars they couldn't open that had the paint scratch to hell, window tint gouged, and doors dented and bent. By the time I get there the customer is furious and ready to tear my head off because of how they left their car like it was my fault.

Next, is the pricing.

How the HELL do you charge $20 to $30 to open a car?!!

Legit here. How?!!

An Uber ride from where you're coming from to the car would often cost more than that!

If someone is charging more just to drive to a location, how are you charging the same to drive to that location with $500 or more in tools to use a specific skill that is in high demand?

If that's the case, just go drive and Uber!

You'll get the same money with less stress and liability.

Speaking of which, how the hell DO they get their staff to not jump ship and drive for Uber?!!

They already require poeple to drive their own car and pay for their own gas. And they only pay 30% commission.

Uber pays WAY more than that, doesn't require you to get out of your vehicle, and you can do it whenever you like.

I'm seriously at a total loss why anyone would work for these crooks.

Oh, and one more thing. I once walked away from an unlock because I discovered the customer was drunk when I got there. Afterward I called up other locksmiths in the area to warn them and all of them were thankful. Well almost all of them. Pop-a-Locks dispatcher told me off and said it was their business who they open cars for.

I'm literally shaking how much I hate them.

Any suggestions on how to deal with them?

Also, I think $40 to $60 is fair for a car unlock depending on the time, the car, the weather, and the location.

At most I charged $80 on Christmas Eve in the middle of the night for a car far in the country. I think that's completely fair. Am I wrong?

[jwrm22]

I understand your frustration. It's no different here in the Netherlands.
The problem is the scam locksmiths charge around 5 times what a legit locksmith will ask.
When you ask they'll tell you: "Pricing depends but from €35,-" in the end the actual charge will be €500,- and up.
A legit locksmith with €20k in tools opens a door for €85,- and €115,- at night.

A few locksmiths here fear for the worst. I for one hope for better licensing and regulation.

[billdeserthills]

I haven't had much competition from pop a lock, but there are scammers everywhere you look. Google shows over 30 locksmiths in my town that actually has 2. I was last charging $55 to $65 to open a standard auto--vehicles that relock themselves used to be an extra $25+, but I quit opening cars last year and I never want to go back.

[cledry]

$40 is a bit low for my area. Usually it is $65-$85 in the day and $100 and up at night or on weekends. Each market is different.

[billdeserthills]

$40 is a bit low for my area. Usually it is $65-$85 in the day and $100 and up at night or on weekends. Each market is different.

I figure it's based on how much is charged to replace broken glass

[cledry]

We don't really price ourselves competitively for car lockouts. We concentrate on commercial work first, residential a distant second, and car lockouts are filler material. We have 5 or 6 locksmiths in the field but only 2 do car lockouts. So if the call is near to one of those techs then we might take the call.