Bump Keys In The News

National Public Radio aired this report about a sting operation that nabbed "Bump Key Bandits" in Texas, late last year.

This is further evidence of the vulnerabilities of almost all conventional lock and key systems currently used across America today.

Click on the picture to listen to the radio report.

Bilock, is the only pin tumbler product in America that is 100% fully guaranteed bump proof.

The design of the Bilock product is far advanced compared to other products and includes devices that deter effective lock pick devices

Locks210.com and our parent company, Master Key Systems America LLC offers Bilock as our signature product. When combined with the Bioaxxis BD1 fingerprint biometric deadbolt, you create the most formidable lock product available today.

If lock bumping doesnt or hasnt concerned you in the recent past, perhaps it is time to re-examine your priorities?

Many houses and residential condominium and apartment complexes use sophisticated master key systems to easily maintain smooth and efficient maintenance access to residential entries and public areas. With all the recent publicity surrounding lock bumping and the quantity of news stories across America about this issue and the issues relating to Scam and Phony locksmith companies, consumers need to be more diligent and proactive than ever before.

It is staggering the quantity of people I meet who know about lock bumping. If as many people know about it, you can be assured that many people are doing it.

How would you know? There is no evidence of forced entry.

Locksmith scam bill passes state assembly

California has been proactive about the issue of scam locksmith companies with the recent introduction of new legislation that increases fines and convictions for unlicensed locksmiths caught for ripping off consumers.

Assembly Bill 2592 by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D. San Francisco) and inspired by a 7 On Your Side investigation passed by a 42-27 vote. Most democrats supported the bill. Republicans mostly opposed it.

The bill would increase fines for unlicensed locksmith activity tenfold to $10,000. It would also place restrictions on misleading ads and require licenses to be prominently displayed.

A 7 On Your Side hidden camera investigation originally aired in February 2007 and uncovered exactly how the scam works.

Consumers locked out of their home call a locksmith desperate for someone to pick the lock. The locksmith pretends the lock is pick proof and then proceeds to drill the lock. The unsuspecting homeowner is then charged as much as $5,000 to replace the lock. Legitimate locksmiths say the normal charge would be $75 to $125.

If the consumer complains about the charge, the locksmith sometimes threatens to leave without replacing the broken lock.

A 7 On Your Side check of locksmiths advertising in the San Francisco phone book found 98 percent of them were unlicensed. Many listed phony addresses or no addresses at all. Many of their phone numbers automatically forwarded to a central call center. Sometimes that call center is as far away as New York.

The bill now goes to the full senate. Nick Hardeman, a spokesman for Assemblywoman Ma, says his office would work with the California Department of Consumer Affairs to gain their support. He says the Department is concerned that some of the provisions in the bill would be too burdensome and impractical to enforce.

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How Much Does It Cost To Change Locks?

Many enquiries that locksmiths receive, are about the cost to change locks.

Often, clients are meaning to inquire as to just changing the combinations of their existing locks, so they can maintain the same hardware on their doors.

Or when the keys to their house, office or automobile have been misplaced, stolen or even copied unknowingly (suspected), the have the need to re-code their locks.
Also many new home buyers or new tenants want to make sure that previous residents of their property can no longer gain entry.

Locksmiths across the country vary greatly in their fees. There are accepted industry averages published in locksmith publications like The National Locksmith magazine and the Locksmith Ledger magazine annually, but the going rate can vary from around $5.00 per keyhole to as much as $20.00 per keyhole for residential or commercial door locks and from $10.00 to $35.00 for automobile locks. Often this does not include labor for the removal and refitting of locks.

Master-keying is another charge that most locksmiths charge slightly higher fees for. Often, specialist products like Medeco or Multlock or Primus or Best or Assa or Abloy or Bilock products can incur significantly increased fees due to the higher cost for the pin or disc tumblers.

Locks210.com charges a standard fee of $10.00 per keyhole to re-key a standard residential or commercial door cylinder not including labor for removal and refitting. Master-keying is $15.00 per keyhole.

We can offer automobile re-keying services but prices are subject to application. There are many and varying brands and manufacturers of automobile lock cylinders, requiring multiple different keying kits. Stocking all possible kits to service all makes and models of foreign and domestic vehicles requires significant amounts of warehousing that directly impacts costs.

If the products are brought to us, we charge the same fees without labor of course.

Most locksmiths will provide the first 2 keys at no charge. For residential or commercial doors (not automotive) we provide the first 3 keys.

For an obligation free estimate contact us today on (314)266-1533.

Brightdoor

Last year we posted an article on Brighthandle. A glowing handle indicating the room was in use.

Here is another take on that design, only in the full form factor. an entire door that glows the color, determining whether it is busy or not.

Now even those inebriated souls can be instantly stopped in their tracks.

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New Biometric Ignition Lock

Hitachi, one of those forward thinking Japanese companies, recently released details on this new type of ignition lock for cars.

A biometric fingerprint ignition lock, effectively does away with the need for mechanical car keys completely.

You will never lose the keys to your car again (unless you lose your finger).
The one drawback, could be, when taking the car to your mechanic for service or repair. You would need to program their fingerprint into the biometric reader.

This will be one surefire method to prevent auto theft or even the kids from taking mommy and daddy's car for a joyride.

The company’s finger-vein biometric technology has been around for a while, most notably in Japanese banks, but the latest attempt to expand the identity-authentication technology goes public this week at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Hitachi already has a far simpler system that works as a key to open car doors, but the update, which uses a reader embedded in the steering wheel, goes much further.

Aside from acting as an ignition key, each driver’s finger can be linked to their own preferences for seat position, mirror angles and so on. Additionally, Hitachi reckons a driver’s different fingers could be used to adjust different aspects of the car - middle finger to switch on the GPS, little finger for the air-con and the like.

Own an iPhone?

The next 12-24 months should be an interesting time to own an iPhone. There are many new companies producing all manor of gadgetry to work in conjuction with the iPhone.

One such company is Lextech.

Check out this interesting video of a pan, tilt, zoom camera, being controlled using an iPhone.

Biometric USB Thumb Drive

Bioaxxis, makers of the BD1 deadbolt have recently released this sensational product. A USB thumbdrive with biometric fingerscan technology. This is the most secure thumbdrive available today.

They are available in 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB.

Prices start at $77.00.

Tennessee Locksmith Licensing to begin July 1st

Tennessee locksmiths will all be required to get a license to work in the state effective July 1.

The law was passed in the 2007 legislative session, but the Tennessee General Assembly postponed the effective date for a year. The licenses will come from the Division of Regulatory Boards.

The application process for the program began last week. All applicants are required to be fingerprinted and must either pass an examination or have documented proof of five years' experience. Also, locksmiths will have to complete new basic and continuing education requirements.

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Last October we reported the introduction of the bill to state legislature.
See Locksmith Licensing Tennessee Style