Locksmith Update

In response to my earlier post, a number of you recommended 5th Ave Locksmith. I want to add my support for these guys. As a recap, we had a recurring problem with keys getting stuck and the whole mechanism getting out of alignment, with an outdoor side gate lock. I first let my fingers do the walking and called a “local” locksmith who turned out to be a rip-off artist, whom I sent away for reasons that will become obvious below. Now, problem solved with 5th Ave. Here’s the play by play:

Rip off artist — $29.95 just to visit
5th Ave — free estimate

ROA – looked at lock for 30 secs before giving estimate
5th Ave — took lock apart before giving estimate

ROA – said screw heads were sawed off so he couldn’t remove lock without drilling into gate to remove lock
5th Ave — had special screwdriver to remove screws with security heads

ROA – said lock had to be replaced without first opening it up to see what was wrong
5th Ave — opened lock up and diagnosed problem before determining that fixing, if possible, would cost as much as replacing

ROA — estimate was $475 (“Yale locks are really expensive”)
5th Ave — quote was $160 (“sorry it’s so much but exterior Yale locks are really expensive.”)

So yes, a hearty recommendation for 5th Ave Locksmith.