High Cost of Locksmiths

Series Summary

Big Brother is watching you. So is his little brother. And all of their friends. Sure your new home theater setup is a dream come true for your family. Who wouldn't want Jim Carey to cast a shadow throughout their entire living room? But Big Brother is an entertainment fan as well, though he prefers a good crime flick to light comedy. And right now he could be planning a heist of his own starring your plasma screen television and 200-watt amplifier. So how to discourage Big and his friends from helping themselves to your hi-fi while you are out at a ball game or even just doing a bit of grocery shopping? Watch our free home security videos to find out how to turn your house into your fortress.

Jim Koch has worked as a repo man and a locksmith. He gives you an insider's perspective on how to theft-proof your home by setting up surveillance systems and engraving your possessions. He also explains the basic workings of several kinds of locks and how to pick them. So next time you like lose your keys, you'll know exactly how to get in. And how to keep Big and his friends out.

Video Transcript

"On behalf of expertvillage.com, my name is Jim Koch and today we are going to be talking about getting access to your house when you've lost or locked your keys in it. I get calls all times of day or night and generally it is because somebody has made the simple mistake of locking their keys in their house. Occasionally it is because they have lost their keys or because roommates have moved out, took the keys with them, whatever reason. It has taken me along time to get to this point. As you can see, I've got my van full of equipment as most locksmiths have at least some portable equipment. In my case, I am completely portable. It has taken a lot of training, a lot of insurance, licensing and background checks you have to go through to become a locksmith but it is a decent living. If you call me, a normal house call can run anywhere from about $40 to as much as $200 depending on the type of locks, time of day or night and a lot of people get a little frustrated when they see me come up and I pick their lock in a matter of just a few seconds and they realize they are paying all this money but what they don't understand the equipment and the insurance and the training. There is literally thousands of dollars of equipment that a locksmith has to carry and there is months and months of training and licensing and insurance that goes all into that. When a locksmith only takes 10 seconds to pick your lock, understand there is probably 10 years behind that. "