Yesterday morning I spent a couple hours in the south bay area opening a home safe after a successful burglary of the client's residence. The burglars didn't get in to the safe, but they did attempt to carry the safe out of the house. Weighing less than two hundred pounds, I was surprised that the intrepid thieves hadn't succeeded, as the safe was not bolted down.
After opening it, I was further surprised to find that this cheap imported safe, that probably retailed for less than $500, contained jewelry and other contents valued at over $150,000. Even this lightweight box had survived intact and done it's job. Too bad it hadn't done the whole job that it was intended to do.
The history of this safe is interesting and also typical. The users were having trouble opening it for a long time. It had a four-number combination lock as well as a secondary key-operated lock. It was located in a cramped, dark portion of an attic crawl space, a rather inconvenient, but hidden location. Unfortunately, inconvenience and the difficulty that the users had been experiencing operating the safe combined to make the users somewhat apathetic about using the safe (to the point that they accidently discarded the card containing the working combination numbers) and stopped locking the combination lock and relied solely on the key. They also stopped using the safe as often. So... they took to stashing some of the more often-used pieces of jewelry in a drawer in the bedroom. These items were valued at a little more than $100K and were easily found and taken by the thieves that had given up on the safe. In fact, the combination was actually scrambled and the combination lock was secured by the actions of the burglars.
When I asked the client why she had not purchased a bigger and better safe, one that was more appropriate to the value of what she was trying to protect, she said that "the bigger, better, higher-quality safes were too expensive." I asked: "Was more expensive than replacing or doing without the jewelry that disappeared from her bedroom drawer?"
Although my client was pleased with my work and the price for opening and returning her safe to useful service, she was a little annoyed at having her security shortcomings pointed out. I told her that, as a security professional, it was my job to do just that, embarrassing as it may be to her. Often, the perceived cost of protecting something, before the fact, seems much less in the aftermath of a loss.
$10K spent for a larger, quality, burglary-rated safe that might have been kept in a more convenient location, i.e. actually used every day, and that was roomy enough to store ALL of her precious valuables, would not have fallen out of use and certainly couldn't have been carried off by a group of intrepid, well-equipped thieves, much less opened by them on site. $10K spent back then would have prevented the loss, as well as her embarrassment and annoyance at my concerned questions. It surprised me that her response was to be further annoyed at my suggestion that she still had assets to protect. Would she be upgrading her safe or continuing with her current plan, despite her recent loss?
The most ironic part of this story is that she wasn't insured for the loss, not that the insurance company would have paid off if she was covered. In cases of high value assets, insurance underwriters can and do stipulate appropriate levels of protection as a requirement of issuing the policy. My client's inexpensive home safe would not have passed muster.
The depressing part of my job is that I meet folks who have been traumatized by a loss that, with the wealth and resources they obviously have, could have been prevented. They have been victimized and even though I am helping them cope with this tragedy, I am a reminder of what could have been done and wasn't. The most painful lesson is the one learned the hard way.
© 2011 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
Telephone: 1 (415) 519-3401
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
Send me an email
The SAFECRACKER Q&A blog was created for people searching for answers to common questions about safes, vaults and combination locks and also as a place for me to express my opinions (or even do a little bit of ranting) about the industry I serve. Questions dealing with antique safe values or that request information that would compromise anyone's security will go unanswered, so please don't ask.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Dishonesty within the ranks of security professionals?
THIS BLOG WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE SAFE & VAULT TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION WEBSITE TECHNICAL FORUM.
"People who claim to be professionals in an industry that is all about security and protection of property shouldn't steal, right?"
Am I incredibly naive for making such a ridiculous statement and expecting the agreement of other security professionals?
As the years go by, I find that many in our industry have become desensitized to incidents of obvious dishonesty. No, I'm not talking about locksmiths and safemen who go bad and burglarize a customer or pilfer safe contents when nobody is looking. Thankfully, that is still a rare occurrence perpetrated by a few rogues who find themselves immediately ostracized by their colleagues and abandoned by clients if and when these indiscretions are discovered.
No, I'm referring to the subtle and common dishonesty. I'm talking about crimes like theft of intellectual property from web sites or stealing another's business name (and therefore his/her reputation) for use in scams. I'm talking about theft from association classes and trade show exhibitors or distributing, without permission, technical data created, collected and/or published by others. These are the little crimes that most in our industry don't pay much attention to, unless they become a victim. These crimes are motivated by personal gain, greed and laziness, just like robbery, burglary, credit card fraud or identity theft... so why would we consider tolerating them or sweeping the evidence of such misdeeds under the rug when they are discovered within our ranks?
Only three months ago, two of our industry colleagues discovered that photos from their own safe databases were turning up on CDs and DVDs that were being distributed (without their permission) by another well respected safe & vault professional that they also considered a trusted colleague and perhaps even a friend. This data was included on a class hand-out DVD that contained over 2 Gigabytes of safe photos, published articles, detailed safe and lock drawings and reams of material that was apparently downloaded from a popular, for-profit, online safe technicians forum. Of course, this isn't unusual or rare. Many of us are quite aware that safe & vault data is being traded, like baseball cards, at conventions, safe-opening parties and other industry gatherings. Maybe some of you already have some of this illicitly-obtained material in your own photo collections and computer databases? What's the big deal, right?
A few years ago, another friend told me that he had discovered that a guy, who he had shared his convention hotel room with, was attempting to copy safe data from his laptop computer while he wasn't looking. That same individual was later accused of stealing drill bits and other SAVTA property from classrooms. Pilferage from classes is, unfortunately, also nothing new. I've donated many tools and educational items to SAVTA over the years and many have disappeared into the pockets and tool kits of previous attendees and, therefore, are no longer available for use by current attendees. I'm not the only contributor who has experienced this phenomenon.
In 2005, a very expensive scope disappeared from my SAVTA exhibitor booth and, again, I am not the only exhibitor to experience these kinds of losses. At the last SAFETECH convention in San Diego, I returned to my room one evening to find my own notebook computer had grown legs and disappeared. Was it just a local burglar or an attendee? These are but a few of the incidents of which I am aware. Yes, SAVTA, exhibitors and attendees should be insured for these losses, but that's not the point, is it? Considering what we do for a living, this shouldn't be happening at all! Would I be scoffed at if I compared this larceny to a cop who takes a bribe to look the other way during a prostitution raid or a priest who molests an alter boy? Isn't this about abuse of trust? Where is the outrage within our community of so-called "professionals"?
In the safe & vault business, technical data is an extremely valuable commodity. One only needs to consider the cost of classes, association dues, drill point books, data CDs, videos and works such as the prized, hand-drawn illustrations made by Ed Willis to confirm that these things have enormous value to those of us who earn our living opening and servicing safes and vaults. Have we fostered a black market, that will eventually hurt our own bottom lines and futures?
I often wonder what goes through the mind of a technician or locksmith who would never think about stealing from a client, but who dutifully downloads and collects the photos and information shared by others on online forums, decides to burn a CD or DVD of it, then distributes it to friends and students or sells it. Maybe he doesn't think he will be caught. Maybe he doesn't care because making a few bucks or promoting himself by using the work of others is more important than personal loyalty, integrity, self esteem or his own good reputation.
As these kinds of abuses are becoming more common, i.e. no longer limited to those unethical purveyors, many of my friends and colleagues have decided not to post photos and details about openings in online technical forums in response to help requests. In fact, many have stopped replying to posts entirely, not only because of data theft, but because they are finding it much harder to make a living as more new techs enter their markets who, instead of creating their own database or legitimately purchasing the creative or technical work of others, have been equipped with tools, photos, data, drill point books and charts that have been supplied by the purveyors of the purloined. This pervasive "entitlement mentality", in addition to cheapening our industry, may have finally killed the goose. In my opinion, that naive goose should have gone belly-up, years ago!
© 2011 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
Telephone: 1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
"People who claim to be professionals in an industry that is all about security and protection of property shouldn't steal, right?"
Am I incredibly naive for making such a ridiculous statement and expecting the agreement of other security professionals?
As the years go by, I find that many in our industry have become desensitized to incidents of obvious dishonesty. No, I'm not talking about locksmiths and safemen who go bad and burglarize a customer or pilfer safe contents when nobody is looking. Thankfully, that is still a rare occurrence perpetrated by a few rogues who find themselves immediately ostracized by their colleagues and abandoned by clients if and when these indiscretions are discovered.
No, I'm referring to the subtle and common dishonesty. I'm talking about crimes like theft of intellectual property from web sites or stealing another's business name (and therefore his/her reputation) for use in scams. I'm talking about theft from association classes and trade show exhibitors or distributing, without permission, technical data created, collected and/or published by others. These are the little crimes that most in our industry don't pay much attention to, unless they become a victim. These crimes are motivated by personal gain, greed and laziness, just like robbery, burglary, credit card fraud or identity theft... so why would we consider tolerating them or sweeping the evidence of such misdeeds under the rug when they are discovered within our ranks?
Only three months ago, two of our industry colleagues discovered that photos from their own safe databases were turning up on CDs and DVDs that were being distributed (without their permission) by another well respected safe & vault professional that they also considered a trusted colleague and perhaps even a friend. This data was included on a class hand-out DVD that contained over 2 Gigabytes of safe photos, published articles, detailed safe and lock drawings and reams of material that was apparently downloaded from a popular, for-profit, online safe technicians forum. Of course, this isn't unusual or rare. Many of us are quite aware that safe & vault data is being traded, like baseball cards, at conventions, safe-opening parties and other industry gatherings. Maybe some of you already have some of this illicitly-obtained material in your own photo collections and computer databases? What's the big deal, right?
A few years ago, another friend told me that he had discovered that a guy, who he had shared his convention hotel room with, was attempting to copy safe data from his laptop computer while he wasn't looking. That same individual was later accused of stealing drill bits and other SAVTA property from classrooms. Pilferage from classes is, unfortunately, also nothing new. I've donated many tools and educational items to SAVTA over the years and many have disappeared into the pockets and tool kits of previous attendees and, therefore, are no longer available for use by current attendees. I'm not the only contributor who has experienced this phenomenon.
In 2005, a very expensive scope disappeared from my SAVTA exhibitor booth and, again, I am not the only exhibitor to experience these kinds of losses. At the last SAFETECH convention in San Diego, I returned to my room one evening to find my own notebook computer had grown legs and disappeared. Was it just a local burglar or an attendee? These are but a few of the incidents of which I am aware. Yes, SAVTA, exhibitors and attendees should be insured for these losses, but that's not the point, is it? Considering what we do for a living, this shouldn't be happening at all! Would I be scoffed at if I compared this larceny to a cop who takes a bribe to look the other way during a prostitution raid or a priest who molests an alter boy? Isn't this about abuse of trust? Where is the outrage within our community of so-called "professionals"?
In the safe & vault business, technical data is an extremely valuable commodity. One only needs to consider the cost of classes, association dues, drill point books, data CDs, videos and works such as the prized, hand-drawn illustrations made by Ed Willis to confirm that these things have enormous value to those of us who earn our living opening and servicing safes and vaults. Have we fostered a black market, that will eventually hurt our own bottom lines and futures?
I often wonder what goes through the mind of a technician or locksmith who would never think about stealing from a client, but who dutifully downloads and collects the photos and information shared by others on online forums, decides to burn a CD or DVD of it, then distributes it to friends and students or sells it. Maybe he doesn't think he will be caught. Maybe he doesn't care because making a few bucks or promoting himself by using the work of others is more important than personal loyalty, integrity, self esteem or his own good reputation.
As these kinds of abuses are becoming more common, i.e. no longer limited to those unethical purveyors, many of my friends and colleagues have decided not to post photos and details about openings in online technical forums in response to help requests. In fact, many have stopped replying to posts entirely, not only because of data theft, but because they are finding it much harder to make a living as more new techs enter their markets who, instead of creating their own database or legitimately purchasing the creative or technical work of others, have been equipped with tools, photos, data, drill point books and charts that have been supplied by the purveyors of the purloined. This pervasive "entitlement mentality", in addition to cheapening our industry, may have finally killed the goose. In my opinion, that naive goose should have gone belly-up, years ago!
© 2011 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
Telephone: 1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Important Questions to Ask... before you hire a locksmith or safe technician to open or repair your safe
A member of the Safe & Vault Technician's Association offers some free advice
If you were building a room addition to your home, there would be many questions you'd want to ask the contractor prior to hiring him for your job. Here are a few questions you should ask pertaining to the opening and repair of your safe or vault that will help you decide whether or not the person or company you are considering is up to the task and will provide good service and value.
Ten (not twenty) Questions:
1. Will the work be performed by your own staff or do you sub-contract these jobs to other companies and add a fee?
2. Do you have the skills, specialized training and equipment to do this job in a professional manner and can you supply me with current client references?
3. Will my safe need to be drilled or are your technicians skilled and competent in advanced diagnostic procedures, combination lock manipulation and other non-invasive/destructive techniques.
4. Are you licensed, bonded and insured (numbers and coverage limits)?
5. How many years of experience do you have opening and repairing the type of safe, vault or ATM that I am locked out of?
6. Do you charge a "flat-rate, not to exceed price" or an open-ended "hourly rate" for openings?
7. If needed, do your service personnel carry locks, parts and supplies on-board that will allow them to return my equipment to it's full function and integrity?
8. Can you open my safe, vault or ATM with NO damage or minimal repairable damage, even if it has been butchered by a burglar or amateur opening attempt?
9. Can you complete the job and return my safe, vault or ATM to useful service in one visit?
10. Do you guarantee results, as well as your workmanship?
You really want to be careful about who you invite into your home or business to do security-related work. There are lots of scammers out there, as well as the merely incompetent posing as professionals.
If you are the owner or custodian of a safe or vault and live in the San Francisco Bay Area or own a business here, please check out my web site at the link, below.
OR if you want to find a honest, reputable and competent safe technician anywhere else in the United States or anywhere in the world, check out the Safe & Vault Technician's Association (SAVTA) You can search for qualified techs who can open, service or repair any safe, vault or ATM chest on the Safetech Search Page:
SAVTA SEARCH FOR A SAFE TECHNICIAN PAGE
Thanks for reading my blog. Questions and/or comments are always welcom
© 2008-2017 by Ken Doyle The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
+1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
If you were building a room addition to your home, there would be many questions you'd want to ask the contractor prior to hiring him for your job. Here are a few questions you should ask pertaining to the opening and repair of your safe or vault that will help you decide whether or not the person or company you are considering is up to the task and will provide good service and value.
Ten (not twenty) Questions:
1. Will the work be performed by your own staff or do you sub-contract these jobs to other companies and add a fee?
2. Do you have the skills, specialized training and equipment to do this job in a professional manner and can you supply me with current client references?
3. Will my safe need to be drilled or are your technicians skilled and competent in advanced diagnostic procedures, combination lock manipulation and other non-invasive/destructive techniques.
4. Are you licensed, bonded and insured (numbers and coverage limits)?
5. How many years of experience do you have opening and repairing the type of safe, vault or ATM that I am locked out of?
6. Do you charge a "flat-rate, not to exceed price" or an open-ended "hourly rate" for openings?
7. If needed, do your service personnel carry locks, parts and supplies on-board that will allow them to return my equipment to it's full function and integrity?
8. Can you open my safe, vault or ATM with NO damage or minimal repairable damage, even if it has been butchered by a burglar or amateur opening attempt?
9. Can you complete the job and return my safe, vault or ATM to useful service in one visit?
10. Do you guarantee results, as well as your workmanship?
You really want to be careful about who you invite into your home or business to do security-related work. There are lots of scammers out there, as well as the merely incompetent posing as professionals.
If you are the owner or custodian of a safe or vault and live in the San Francisco Bay Area or own a business here, please check out my web site at the link, below.
OR if you want to find a honest, reputable and competent safe technician anywhere else in the United States or anywhere in the world, check out the Safe & Vault Technician's Association (SAVTA) You can search for qualified techs who can open, service or repair any safe, vault or ATM chest on the Safetech Search Page:
SAVTA SEARCH FOR A SAFE TECHNICIAN PAGE
Thanks for reading my blog. Questions and/or comments are always welcom
© 2008-2017 by Ken Doyle The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
+1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
Worried about Locksmith & Safeman Scammers? - Here's a couple of tips to avoid being ripped-off!
If you are trying to find a licensed locksmith or safe technician in California or in another state that requires licensing by using GOOGLE search, regardless of what other search terms you enter, try adding "licensed" to those search terms. Scammers don't like giving the authorities any reasons to come after them, and advertising as licensed when they're not is a trigger. You may get fewer results with "licensed" in your search, but the chances that the firms that show up in the results will be legitimate and local are much greater.
Another trick is to avoid using the "Standard Industry Code" (SIC) in your search. The SIC code is used by call centers when submitting to search engines. Real locksmiths and safe technicians rarely think to do this. For example, when I enter "Safes & Vaults opening and repairing Orinda, CA" (SIC category for our industry) Google returns many, many more results and with considerably more scammers included than if I simply type "safe vault Orinda, CA" and even less advertising and scammer results if I add the word LICENSED to those search terms.
Not all locksmiths and safe technicians have a local, neighborhood shop. Some are totally reputable, long-time business merchants in your area, but offer mobile service only. Not having a local shop isn't necessarily an indicator that the service provider is a scam artist. In the safe and vault service business, there are few clients that bring their large and heavy safe into a shop for service. Besides, one of the tricks that these locksmith scammers have come up with is hijacking legitimate locksmith's addresses for use in their own advertising, but substituting their own local or 800 phone number. You call expecting to talk to a local business and you end up talking to a call center in the Bronx or in Las Vegas. It's best to keep a record of the legitimate business's contact info, especially for emergencies, rather than using the yellow pages or an internet search to locate a legitimate business.
Seems to me that the best way to figure out whether you are talking to a local business on the phone is to ask where they are located and to verify the owner's name and business address. If you hear hemming and hawing or there's a wait while the "operator" looks that information up, you may be dealing with one of those New York or Las Vegas Call Centers, aka "boiler room operations". If you suspect that you are, ask the operator where "they" are located. If it's not in or even close to your town, take a pass and move on to the next listing.
I understand that personal referrals may not be possible under some "emergency" situations, but a referral of a locksmith or legitimate safecracker that comes from a friend or business associate is like gold. When you do find a good locksmith or safe-tech, keep their number and other contact info where you can find it if and when that emergency does occur.
Barring a personal referral, the best and easiest way to find a Safe & Vault Technician is to use the free Safe and vault technicians association's SAVTA Safe Tech SEARCH by going to the link (below) and entering your zip code and how many miles around where you live or do business you'd like to search. These results can be from 10-100 miles or any distance away, but any distance returns too many results and far away services often charge travel time for long distance jobs.
SAVTA Technician SEARCH
I'm not sure if the following tip will be of any help in weeding out the scammers in your area or not, but it seems that the ones I've discovered when doing various GOOGLE searches in my area frequently have names that indicate that they are available anytime, fast or cheap, i.e. AVAILABLE Locksmiths, Dependable Locksmith, (City-name) 24/7 Locksmiths or AAAffordable Locksmiths, etc. and frequently have multiple listings, often with identical toll-free numbers, as well as providing local number, in some cases. This is by no means a hard and fast rule or anything, but it's certainly something to watch out for.
I do hope this information gets included in GOOGLE searches and that the general public finds it useful when they are trying to find reputable locksmiths and safe technicians, but also want to avoid being ripped-off by predatory scam-artists.
© 2008-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
Telephone: +1 (415) 519-3401
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California
Send me an email
Another trick is to avoid using the "Standard Industry Code" (SIC) in your search. The SIC code is used by call centers when submitting to search engines. Real locksmiths and safe technicians rarely think to do this. For example, when I enter "Safes & Vaults opening and repairing Orinda, CA" (SIC category for our industry) Google returns many, many more results and with considerably more scammers included than if I simply type "safe vault Orinda, CA" and even less advertising and scammer results if I add the word LICENSED to those search terms.
Not all locksmiths and safe technicians have a local, neighborhood shop. Some are totally reputable, long-time business merchants in your area, but offer mobile service only. Not having a local shop isn't necessarily an indicator that the service provider is a scam artist. In the safe and vault service business, there are few clients that bring their large and heavy safe into a shop for service. Besides, one of the tricks that these locksmith scammers have come up with is hijacking legitimate locksmith's addresses for use in their own advertising, but substituting their own local or 800 phone number. You call expecting to talk to a local business and you end up talking to a call center in the Bronx or in Las Vegas. It's best to keep a record of the legitimate business's contact info, especially for emergencies, rather than using the yellow pages or an internet search to locate a legitimate business.
Seems to me that the best way to figure out whether you are talking to a local business on the phone is to ask where they are located and to verify the owner's name and business address. If you hear hemming and hawing or there's a wait while the "operator" looks that information up, you may be dealing with one of those New York or Las Vegas Call Centers, aka "boiler room operations". If you suspect that you are, ask the operator where "they" are located. If it's not in or even close to your town, take a pass and move on to the next listing.
I understand that personal referrals may not be possible under some "emergency" situations, but a referral of a locksmith or legitimate safecracker that comes from a friend or business associate is like gold. When you do find a good locksmith or safe-tech, keep their number and other contact info where you can find it if and when that emergency does occur.
Barring a personal referral, the best and easiest way to find a Safe & Vault Technician is to use the free Safe and vault technicians association's SAVTA Safe Tech SEARCH by going to the link (below) and entering your zip code and how many miles around where you live or do business you'd like to search. These results can be from 10-100 miles or any distance away, but any distance returns too many results and far away services often charge travel time for long distance jobs.
SAVTA Technician SEARCH
I'm not sure if the following tip will be of any help in weeding out the scammers in your area or not, but it seems that the ones I've discovered when doing various GOOGLE searches in my area frequently have names that indicate that they are available anytime, fast or cheap, i.e. AVAILABLE Locksmiths, Dependable Locksmith, (City-name) 24/7 Locksmiths or AAAffordable Locksmiths, etc. and frequently have multiple listings, often with identical toll-free numbers, as well as providing local number, in some cases. This is by no means a hard and fast rule or anything, but it's certainly something to watch out for.
I do hope this information gets included in GOOGLE searches and that the general public finds it useful when they are trying to find reputable locksmiths and safe technicians, but also want to avoid being ripped-off by predatory scam-artists.
© 2008-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
Telephone: +1 (415) 519-3401
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California
Send me an email
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Are you hiring a professional, a middleman or perhaps even a scammer?
Whether you "let your fingers do the walking" through any yellow page directory or you do an internet search for locksmiths or safe and vault opening and repairing services, there's a very good chance that a scam artist or boiler room operator is who will show up at your door. These operators prey on the emergency needs of unsuspecting consumers.
Newspaper and TV news stories all over the country abound describing horror stories of consumers being ripped off, over charged or otherwise defrauded by phony locksmith companies. These operators advertise in local yellow pages and on the internet under many names, sometimes using the actual names of local, legitimate businesses to dupe consumers into believing they are hiring these legitimate businesses to solve their home, car or safe & vault lockout problems.
The problem:
Consumers, inconvenienced by a lockout of their home, car or safe are desperate. Maybe they need to get to work or a medical appointment and they locked the keys in the car. Maybe they are getting ready to go on vacation and their passport is locked in the safe for which they have lost or forgotten the combination. Maybe they went out for the paper and the dog pushed the door closed behind them. Maybe they lost their keys somewhere and in addition to being locked out, they also need to get the locks changed to prevent whoever finds them from using them. Whatever mishap caused the problem, it's an inconvenient situation and people want to solve the problem as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. They suspend their normal skepticism for the sake of expediency and that's when they open the door to being scammed.
How the scam works:
A boiler room operation works by advertising and placing listings in yellow pages or on internet search engines. They offer emergency service and promise fast service at discount prices. When you call, the person answering the phone may be in another city or state. They may be answering the phone from a workroom in a prison in Utah or a warehouse in Newark, NJ or Las Vegas Nevada. The first thing they ask will be your phone number and your location. If you pay attention and listen, you may hear other operators talking in the background asking the same questions of other callers.
When the dispatcher/operator has all of your information, they say that they will contact their closest technician, locksmith, etc. and dispatch them to your location. When asked, they will quote a charge, usually less than $50 for the "service" and ask how you will be paying. They will insist on getting your credit card information. You say to yourself: "Wow, $50, that's very reasonable!"
What happens next isn't normal, usual or legitimate! In the best case scenario, the dispatcher will have a list of people in your area that they may or may not have dealt with before. They don't know if they are licensed, bonded or insured, only that they answered the phone. Maybe it's a real locksmith or safeman, maybe not! The dispatcher gives them your contact information and often your credit card information. Sometimes, the dispatcher may not have anyone in your area to "refer" the call to, and sometimes they do. If they do, and the person who actually shows up at your door can do the requested work, they will get your permission to perform the service. They will also explain that the "work" needs to be paid for, either in advance or immediately, preferably in cash. If you can't pay in cash, that's where the credit card information comes in. You complain that the charges were supposed to only be $50. "Sorry, you'll have to talk to my dispatcher aout that" will be the reply. You're still locked out, so you agree to the extra charges.
Sometimes the technician will say that the dispatcher made an error and that they can't do the work (a safe opening instead of a car lockout, for instance), but they have to charge a minimum "show up" or "trip charge" fee, but the they will make it right with the dispatcher.
In the worst case scenario, you may hang up thinking that help is on the way. The dispatcher will often not be able to find a person to refer your call to, especially if you live outside a metropolitan area or if it is in the middle of the night. You may wait for hours. Calling back, you will explain everything again and the person on the phone will offer to "call you back when they know the technician is on the way".
The corporate scam:
There's also a business version of this scam. The scammers are known as "National Service Providers". They target chain stores, restaurants, any businesses that have multiple outlets or branches, often in different areas or even in different states. Essentially, the NSP offers dispatching and consolidated billing for services commonly used by these chains. HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, window and glass, locksmiths and safemen. They have a sales force who contact the chains offering one-stop shopping for these "services" at pre-negotiated, discount fees with easy billing. Basically, this kind of outfit consists of a toll-free number, the sales force, "customer service agents" or CSAs (dispatchers) and a billing department. They do not have the required business license or contractor's license to do business in local chain store's area and are not required to provide insurance or bonding, but there they are, none the less. These requirements are to be met by their sub-contractors, i.e. the local firms or individuals who actually "provide the services". Although the NSPs represent themselves as being legitimate service providers, aren't they nothing more than middlemen? They try, but frequently fail miserably, but because corporate departments don't always coordinate, especially between the accounts payable department and property/store management departments, one doesn't know what's going on with the other until long after the contract has expired. Often, delays in providing services, quality assurance problems, or additional charges are explained as "unusual circumstances" and are written into the contracts that way. In other words, the discounted prices are not applicable because of the "unusual circumstances". These companies frequently operate under lots of different names and may use a different name with every contract.
A typical NSP scenario:
Let's say you're the manager of a fast food restaurant in Stockton, California. You need to have the locks re-keyed and the combination of the safe changed because of employee turnover. You call or fax a work order request to the chain's security or loss prevention department or maybe your chain requires that you call the NSP's toll-free number, directly. You talk to the CSA (Customer Service Agent) who is located in an office in indiana. You give him the work order number and tell him what you want done. He says "no problem, we'll have our technician call you back to make the appointment."
Although there is no cash or credit card information being exchanged, what happens next resembles what happened with the boiler room operation I described in the previous example: the customer service agent puts on his dispatcher's hat and starts calling contacts in your area to try to connect you with a "real" service provider to take care of your needs. Again, how successful he is depends on the number of service contacts that he has on file in your area. A service contact is merely a company who has agreed to service the NSP's clients and bill the NSP instead of the store. If there are none of the needed contacts on file, the NSP's CSA starts calling providers listed in the yellow pages and on the internet. Does the CSA check references, licensing, bonding or insurance requirements for the firms he's contacting? He just wants to get this particular service request off his plate so he can move on to the next. Do you see where I'm going with this?
You as the local manager could have called in a local company yourself, but that option is no longer available to you because of corporate policy to use the services of the NSP. The NSP is simply a broker of services, not the provider, as the name implies. They rely on actual providers in your local area to service your needs. What sounded like an efficient system starts looking like a service nightmare. Delays, poor quality, "loss prevention incidents" and other failures of the system start showing up. The dispatcher may not have a local provider, so now he's trolling the yellow pages in ever-widening areas trying to find one who will take this call of his plate. When two days have passed, he starts getting desperate. He may go with an individual who he knows isn't qualified.
On the other hand, maybe the firm that the NSP uses in your area is the same firm that was providing these services to your store before the NSP got involved, only now he's billing the NSP at discounted rates and with charge limits imposed that are known as NTEs. He agrees to this because he wants to keep his techs busy and YOU are no longer calling him, directly. He still needs to maintain his license, insurance and bonding as well as the other cost of doing business, i.e. rolling stock, payroll, parts and supplies, etc., but he's no longer getting full price for his services. How likely is he to put your needs ahead of his "real customers", many of which he has a history with and may even know by name, when he has to share his service revenue with an out of state, unlicensed NSP who doesn't share in HIS cost of doing business and often pays his invoices, not in 30 days, but in 60, 90 or 120 days or longer? Is there any loyalty to the customer? Rarely. NSPs often play one service provider against another in order to get the lowest charges. Is this illegal or unethical? Not really, but there are other things in their business model that are.
The similarities between the locksmith scammers and the NSPs are undeniable, but one is condemned as a scammer, and the other may be lauded as an entrepreneur with a successful business model.
Conclusion:
There are things that you can do to avoid being scammed, whether you are a consumer looking to hire an independent contractor or a business manager considering contracting with an NSP firm. These things will be discussed in a future posting.
© 2009-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
+1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
Newspaper and TV news stories all over the country abound describing horror stories of consumers being ripped off, over charged or otherwise defrauded by phony locksmith companies. These operators advertise in local yellow pages and on the internet under many names, sometimes using the actual names of local, legitimate businesses to dupe consumers into believing they are hiring these legitimate businesses to solve their home, car or safe & vault lockout problems.
The problem:
Consumers, inconvenienced by a lockout of their home, car or safe are desperate. Maybe they need to get to work or a medical appointment and they locked the keys in the car. Maybe they are getting ready to go on vacation and their passport is locked in the safe for which they have lost or forgotten the combination. Maybe they went out for the paper and the dog pushed the door closed behind them. Maybe they lost their keys somewhere and in addition to being locked out, they also need to get the locks changed to prevent whoever finds them from using them. Whatever mishap caused the problem, it's an inconvenient situation and people want to solve the problem as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. They suspend their normal skepticism for the sake of expediency and that's when they open the door to being scammed.
How the scam works:
A boiler room operation works by advertising and placing listings in yellow pages or on internet search engines. They offer emergency service and promise fast service at discount prices. When you call, the person answering the phone may be in another city or state. They may be answering the phone from a workroom in a prison in Utah or a warehouse in Newark, NJ or Las Vegas Nevada. The first thing they ask will be your phone number and your location. If you pay attention and listen, you may hear other operators talking in the background asking the same questions of other callers.
When the dispatcher/operator has all of your information, they say that they will contact their closest technician, locksmith, etc. and dispatch them to your location. When asked, they will quote a charge, usually less than $50 for the "service" and ask how you will be paying. They will insist on getting your credit card information. You say to yourself: "Wow, $50, that's very reasonable!"
What happens next isn't normal, usual or legitimate! In the best case scenario, the dispatcher will have a list of people in your area that they may or may not have dealt with before. They don't know if they are licensed, bonded or insured, only that they answered the phone. Maybe it's a real locksmith or safeman, maybe not! The dispatcher gives them your contact information and often your credit card information. Sometimes, the dispatcher may not have anyone in your area to "refer" the call to, and sometimes they do. If they do, and the person who actually shows up at your door can do the requested work, they will get your permission to perform the service. They will also explain that the "work" needs to be paid for, either in advance or immediately, preferably in cash. If you can't pay in cash, that's where the credit card information comes in. You complain that the charges were supposed to only be $50. "Sorry, you'll have to talk to my dispatcher aout that" will be the reply. You're still locked out, so you agree to the extra charges.
Sometimes the technician will say that the dispatcher made an error and that they can't do the work (a safe opening instead of a car lockout, for instance), but they have to charge a minimum "show up" or "trip charge" fee, but the they will make it right with the dispatcher.
In the worst case scenario, you may hang up thinking that help is on the way. The dispatcher will often not be able to find a person to refer your call to, especially if you live outside a metropolitan area or if it is in the middle of the night. You may wait for hours. Calling back, you will explain everything again and the person on the phone will offer to "call you back when they know the technician is on the way".
The corporate scam:
There's also a business version of this scam. The scammers are known as "National Service Providers". They target chain stores, restaurants, any businesses that have multiple outlets or branches, often in different areas or even in different states. Essentially, the NSP offers dispatching and consolidated billing for services commonly used by these chains. HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, window and glass, locksmiths and safemen. They have a sales force who contact the chains offering one-stop shopping for these "services" at pre-negotiated, discount fees with easy billing. Basically, this kind of outfit consists of a toll-free number, the sales force, "customer service agents" or CSAs (dispatchers) and a billing department. They do not have the required business license or contractor's license to do business in local chain store's area and are not required to provide insurance or bonding, but there they are, none the less. These requirements are to be met by their sub-contractors, i.e. the local firms or individuals who actually "provide the services". Although the NSPs represent themselves as being legitimate service providers, aren't they nothing more than middlemen? They try, but frequently fail miserably, but because corporate departments don't always coordinate, especially between the accounts payable department and property/store management departments, one doesn't know what's going on with the other until long after the contract has expired. Often, delays in providing services, quality assurance problems, or additional charges are explained as "unusual circumstances" and are written into the contracts that way. In other words, the discounted prices are not applicable because of the "unusual circumstances". These companies frequently operate under lots of different names and may use a different name with every contract.
A typical NSP scenario:
Let's say you're the manager of a fast food restaurant in Stockton, California. You need to have the locks re-keyed and the combination of the safe changed because of employee turnover. You call or fax a work order request to the chain's security or loss prevention department or maybe your chain requires that you call the NSP's toll-free number, directly. You talk to the CSA (Customer Service Agent) who is located in an office in indiana. You give him the work order number and tell him what you want done. He says "no problem, we'll have our technician call you back to make the appointment."
Although there is no cash or credit card information being exchanged, what happens next resembles what happened with the boiler room operation I described in the previous example: the customer service agent puts on his dispatcher's hat and starts calling contacts in your area to try to connect you with a "real" service provider to take care of your needs. Again, how successful he is depends on the number of service contacts that he has on file in your area. A service contact is merely a company who has agreed to service the NSP's clients and bill the NSP instead of the store. If there are none of the needed contacts on file, the NSP's CSA starts calling providers listed in the yellow pages and on the internet. Does the CSA check references, licensing, bonding or insurance requirements for the firms he's contacting? He just wants to get this particular service request off his plate so he can move on to the next. Do you see where I'm going with this?
You as the local manager could have called in a local company yourself, but that option is no longer available to you because of corporate policy to use the services of the NSP. The NSP is simply a broker of services, not the provider, as the name implies. They rely on actual providers in your local area to service your needs. What sounded like an efficient system starts looking like a service nightmare. Delays, poor quality, "loss prevention incidents" and other failures of the system start showing up. The dispatcher may not have a local provider, so now he's trolling the yellow pages in ever-widening areas trying to find one who will take this call of his plate. When two days have passed, he starts getting desperate. He may go with an individual who he knows isn't qualified.
On the other hand, maybe the firm that the NSP uses in your area is the same firm that was providing these services to your store before the NSP got involved, only now he's billing the NSP at discounted rates and with charge limits imposed that are known as NTEs. He agrees to this because he wants to keep his techs busy and YOU are no longer calling him, directly. He still needs to maintain his license, insurance and bonding as well as the other cost of doing business, i.e. rolling stock, payroll, parts and supplies, etc., but he's no longer getting full price for his services. How likely is he to put your needs ahead of his "real customers", many of which he has a history with and may even know by name, when he has to share his service revenue with an out of state, unlicensed NSP who doesn't share in HIS cost of doing business and often pays his invoices, not in 30 days, but in 60, 90 or 120 days or longer? Is there any loyalty to the customer? Rarely. NSPs often play one service provider against another in order to get the lowest charges. Is this illegal or unethical? Not really, but there are other things in their business model that are.
The similarities between the locksmith scammers and the NSPs are undeniable, but one is condemned as a scammer, and the other may be lauded as an entrepreneur with a successful business model.
Conclusion:
There are things that you can do to avoid being scammed, whether you are a consumer looking to hire an independent contractor or a business manager considering contracting with an NSP firm. These things will be discussed in a future posting.
© 2009-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco Bay Area
+1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
Monday, January 5, 2009
Does my safe need to be serviced?
Safes and vaults, just like any other mechanical device, need to be serviced periodically to maintain proper functioning and to prevent the dreaded "lockout". How often this needs to happen depends on it's location and use factors.
Safes that are used (or abused) more frequently require more attention. Also, safes that haven't been opened on a regular basis (at least once a month) or unopened for several years may develop problems that are associated with lack of use, such as dried-up or solidified lubrication and other problems.
The most common problem and frequently the one that causes a lockout may be something as simple as a loose fastener, i.e. a small screw. That screw may only connect two parts, but it may be critical in your ability to open the safe or vault. Loose screws or other small parts may also become disconnected and fall into other moving parts causing a jam.
Although your safe or vault may sport an electronic (digital) safe lock which doesn't require as much service, maintenance on other parts are frequently ignored because the regular attention of a S&V technician (when he's there to reset a combination) may no longer be performed because users routinely set their own codes. Keypads, connectors, terminal strips and cables, i.e. "things that users may touch", may become damaged by rough or careless handling while replacing batteries. Inferior batteries may also leak, bulge or burst which can cause intermittent opening or even a complete failure of the lock.
Some of the things that a safe & vault technician will do on a routine service call are:
INSPECTION - disassemble bolt-works and lock(s) and check for loose fasteners, broken or worn parts, dried or congealed lubrication, slow time-lock movements, frayed cables, protective grommets and other wear or abuse factors. Inspection is the least time-consuming part of a service call, but it is also the most important part.
CLEANING & LUBRICATION - Although all internal parts must be clean and reassembled correctly in order to work properly, lubrication is a bit more complicated. The proper type, location and amount is very critical in the trouble-free operation of most mechanical safe locks and time-locks. Sloppy or amateur service is the second most common reason for an emergency lockout call.
ADJUSTMENTS - Many of the mechanisms inside a safe door need adjustment in order to function properly. Timing and balance are critical with some parts and the lack of adjustment may cause binds, door-running, handle disconnects and other problems that will make opening and closing the safe door more difficult, effect lock operation, as well as contribute to abuse factors that make other parts fail completely.
USER TRAINING - Bad habits and abuse factors that can cause lockouts may be minimized by training users in proper operation and battery replacements. A technician who services the safe or vault frequently and is familiar with normal operation and function may be able observe this behavior or see signs of it happening before it causes a lockout or other problem. A DOs & DON'Ts checklist is often recommended to help users correct the habits and factors that contribute to inconvenient and costly failures.
SERVICE INTERVALS - Safes or vaults that are in commercial use and have several busy users may need to be serviced on a bi-annual or annual basis, whereas a home safe that is used only infrequently by the owner may need service less than once every two or three years.
LESSON LEARNED? Routine service is convenient and inexpensive when compared to the inconvenience and expense of an emergency lockout and subsequent repairs.
Questions and comments are always appreciated. Use the email link provided, below.
© 2008-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco, Bay Area and Northern California
Telephone: +1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
Safes that are used (or abused) more frequently require more attention. Also, safes that haven't been opened on a regular basis (at least once a month) or unopened for several years may develop problems that are associated with lack of use, such as dried-up or solidified lubrication and other problems.
The most common problem and frequently the one that causes a lockout may be something as simple as a loose fastener, i.e. a small screw. That screw may only connect two parts, but it may be critical in your ability to open the safe or vault. Loose screws or other small parts may also become disconnected and fall into other moving parts causing a jam.
Although your safe or vault may sport an electronic (digital) safe lock which doesn't require as much service, maintenance on other parts are frequently ignored because the regular attention of a S&V technician (when he's there to reset a combination) may no longer be performed because users routinely set their own codes. Keypads, connectors, terminal strips and cables, i.e. "things that users may touch", may become damaged by rough or careless handling while replacing batteries. Inferior batteries may also leak, bulge or burst which can cause intermittent opening or even a complete failure of the lock.
Some of the things that a safe & vault technician will do on a routine service call are:
INSPECTION - disassemble bolt-works and lock(s) and check for loose fasteners, broken or worn parts, dried or congealed lubrication, slow time-lock movements, frayed cables, protective grommets and other wear or abuse factors. Inspection is the least time-consuming part of a service call, but it is also the most important part.
CLEANING & LUBRICATION - Although all internal parts must be clean and reassembled correctly in order to work properly, lubrication is a bit more complicated. The proper type, location and amount is very critical in the trouble-free operation of most mechanical safe locks and time-locks. Sloppy or amateur service is the second most common reason for an emergency lockout call.
ADJUSTMENTS - Many of the mechanisms inside a safe door need adjustment in order to function properly. Timing and balance are critical with some parts and the lack of adjustment may cause binds, door-running, handle disconnects and other problems that will make opening and closing the safe door more difficult, effect lock operation, as well as contribute to abuse factors that make other parts fail completely.
USER TRAINING - Bad habits and abuse factors that can cause lockouts may be minimized by training users in proper operation and battery replacements. A technician who services the safe or vault frequently and is familiar with normal operation and function may be able observe this behavior or see signs of it happening before it causes a lockout or other problem. A DOs & DON'Ts checklist is often recommended to help users correct the habits and factors that contribute to inconvenient and costly failures.
SERVICE INTERVALS - Safes or vaults that are in commercial use and have several busy users may need to be serviced on a bi-annual or annual basis, whereas a home safe that is used only infrequently by the owner may need service less than once every two or three years.
LESSON LEARNED? Routine service is convenient and inexpensive when compared to the inconvenience and expense of an emergency lockout and subsequent repairs.
Questions and comments are always appreciated. Use the email link provided, below.
© 2008-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
San Francisco, Bay Area and Northern California
Telephone: +1 (415) 519-3401
Send me an email
Thursday, August 7, 2008
How do I change the combination of my safe?
There are several different types of combination locks found on safes used by homeowners, gun enthusiasts, businesses and others and the procedures may vary by maker and type. Usually, a new safe will include specific instructions for both mechanical and electronic safe locks, as well as any necessary tool or change key required for mechanical locks. See below for how to find that information.
IMPORTANT: after changing either type, care must always be taken to test the combination and operate the door bolts several times with the door open before closing and locking the door.
The two basic types are:
MECHANICAL: (dial-type)
Changing of this type is accomplished by
A) first opening the door by dialing the existing combination to the opening (12 O'clock) index and then dialing the existing combination to a different "changing index" and using a special change key to reset the combination to the new numbers or
b) removal and mechanical disassembly in order to re-arrange the individual settings of the combination wheels.
Specific instructions for every lock type would be impossible to post here, but that information is usually available at the safe or lock maker's web site as a download. You can also call the maker's toll-free customer service number for assistance in replacing misplaced instruction sheets. Here is a link to the Sargeant & Greenleaf web site where PDF downloads for lock operation and changing instructions can be obtained:
Sargeant & Greenleaf Product Support
ELECTRONIC: (push-button keypad) In order to change this type, the existing code or PIN must be known and the safe door must be in the locked-open position. Then you follow the lockmaker's procedure for that particular lock (the simple instructions will vary by lock maker). These procedures will usually takes less than a minute to perform. Because the instructions are different for each maker, I will only give the basic steps here. Specific instructions for all kinds of electronic locks are usually available (as a download) at the lock or safe maker's web site. For instance, here is the site to download instructions for La Gard electronic safe locks:
Kaba-Mas/LA GARD INSTRUCTIONS
When you buy a new safe, always keep a record of your safe's model name/number and/or serial number, as well as the maker's customer service toll-free number. Often, it's only a matter of a simple phone call to obtain the specific instructions for your specific safe lock via e-mailed or fax. The serial and model numbers will help in identifying the particular safe lock model on your safe.
You can also do a GOOGLE search by safe and lock maker to find a particular maker's web site or a professional safe & vault technician that has expertise with that maker's products.
GENERAL WARNING: Never attempt to lock your safe door unless you are absolutely certain that you have read and followed the instructions carefully and have tested the combination and door bolt function several times. If in doubt, leave the door OPEN and look in the yellow pages and/or on the WWW for a local safe & vault expert. We can be found under the heading: "Safe Expert" or "Safes & Vaults Opening & Repairing" in both the yellow pages or using google to search those terms. Include those search terms, as well as your area code, zip code or city and state, but make sure to include the term "licensed" to avoid internet scammers. For example, here's the search performed for Novato, California:
GOOGLE SEARCH for Safe Expert in Novato, CA
The Safe & Vault Technicians Association (SAVTA) also has a directory of members that is searchable using several criteria. Here is that web site:
SAVTA TECH SEARCH
I hope you've found this information helpful and informative or at least I've given you some good resources. Questions and comments are always welcome.
© 2009-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
Telephone: +1 (415) 519-3401
San Francisco, Bay Area and Northern California
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
Send me an email
IMPORTANT: after changing either type, care must always be taken to test the combination and operate the door bolts several times with the door open before closing and locking the door.
The two basic types are:
MECHANICAL: (dial-type)
Changing of this type is accomplished by
A) first opening the door by dialing the existing combination to the opening (12 O'clock) index and then dialing the existing combination to a different "changing index" and using a special change key to reset the combination to the new numbers or
b) removal and mechanical disassembly in order to re-arrange the individual settings of the combination wheels.
Specific instructions for every lock type would be impossible to post here, but that information is usually available at the safe or lock maker's web site as a download. You can also call the maker's toll-free customer service number for assistance in replacing misplaced instruction sheets. Here is a link to the Sargeant & Greenleaf web site where PDF downloads for lock operation and changing instructions can be obtained:
Sargeant & Greenleaf Product Support
ELECTRONIC: (push-button keypad) In order to change this type, the existing code or PIN must be known and the safe door must be in the locked-open position. Then you follow the lockmaker's procedure for that particular lock (the simple instructions will vary by lock maker). These procedures will usually takes less than a minute to perform. Because the instructions are different for each maker, I will only give the basic steps here. Specific instructions for all kinds of electronic locks are usually available (as a download) at the lock or safe maker's web site. For instance, here is the site to download instructions for La Gard electronic safe locks:
Kaba-Mas/LA GARD INSTRUCTIONS
When you buy a new safe, always keep a record of your safe's model name/number and/or serial number, as well as the maker's customer service toll-free number. Often, it's only a matter of a simple phone call to obtain the specific instructions for your specific safe lock via e-mailed or fax. The serial and model numbers will help in identifying the particular safe lock model on your safe.
You can also do a GOOGLE search by safe and lock maker to find a particular maker's web site or a professional safe & vault technician that has expertise with that maker's products.
GENERAL WARNING: Never attempt to lock your safe door unless you are absolutely certain that you have read and followed the instructions carefully and have tested the combination and door bolt function several times. If in doubt, leave the door OPEN and look in the yellow pages and/or on the WWW for a local safe & vault expert. We can be found under the heading: "Safe Expert" or "Safes & Vaults Opening & Repairing" in both the yellow pages or using google to search those terms. Include those search terms, as well as your area code, zip code or city and state, but make sure to include the term "licensed" to avoid internet scammers. For example, here's the search performed for Novato, California:
GOOGLE SEARCH for Safe Expert in Novato, CA
The Safe & Vault Technicians Association (SAVTA) also has a directory of members that is searchable using several criteria. Here is that web site:
SAVTA TECH SEARCH
I hope you've found this information helpful and informative or at least I've given you some good resources. Questions and comments are always welcome.
© 2009-2017 by Ken Doyle - The Safecracker
Telephone: +1 (415) 519-3401
San Francisco, Bay Area and Northern California
ADVANCED Safe & Vault
Send me an email
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