Tatton Park on an October morning

Why Choose a Master Locksmith?

Master Locksmiths Association

Licensing the professional Locksmith

The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) is the leading trade association for the
locksmithing industry. A truly not-for-profit organisation promoting the skill and integrity
of its approximately 1,400 members, it was established over 50 years ago to set and
promote standards of conduct, practice and materials within locksmithing. Recognised
as the authoritative body for locksmithing by the police, home office, British Standards
Institute (BSI), The Risk Insight, Strategy and Control Authority - RISCAuthority
(formally IPCRes) and Building Research Establishment (BRE), the MLA also has a
subsidiary company, Sold Secure, which performs certification of security products via
manual attack testing.

In the absence of Government based licensing (meaning that anyone can call
themselves a locksmith), the MLA can provide peace of mind to the end customer
through it’s licensing scheme.
MLA licensed locksmith companies, who undergo strict vetting (including criminal record
checks, regular inspections to ensure quality etc), are able to provide advice based on
knowledge and experience, recommend products that are fit for purpose as well as
provide professional installation and maintenance services.
The Approved Companies inspectorate means the MLA can demonstrate that all
Company Members are meeting high standards. Each company is inspected on a
regular basis, thus ensuring that its members and their operatives maintain standards in
workmanship and administration. Also members are expected to conform to legal
requirements and customer charters exist to ensure customer satisfaction.
Inspections have the effect of making locksmithing companies more accountable for
their daily operations. Approved Company members are made aware that the MLA
considers that training is an essential means to maintaining standards and the
association provides training and information through various means.
The Logo depicted on the bottom right hand corner is the one that is advertised by an
approved company on their premises, vehicles and stationery, confirming to the public
the standards expected of them.
Channels of arbitration exist to fully investigate any complaints or disputes, should they
arise, and the MLA advises or takes any necessary action depending on the outcome

This week I have been mostly...

• fitting a outside key safe in Alderley Edge
• fitting a Paxton Access net2 Paxlock in Northwich
• fixing uPVC door lock in Bramhall
• replacing a front door lock to B.S.3621 in Wilmslow
• Picking open a garage door in Cheadle Hulme
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Local Macclesfield Locksmiths?

Locksmith Call centres

It is very easy for the general public to be tricked into calling a national locksmith instead of a genuine local locksmith. National locksmiths usually operate out of call centres and use as many under hand techniques as they think they can get away with to get unsuspecting members of the public to call them. Many of these so called locksmith companies also cover every other trade you can imagine, claiming to be expert locksmiths, plumbers, glaziers, joiners, gas engineers, electricians etc.

For example if you do a Google search for locksmiths Macclesfield you will see the shaded boxes at the top of the page and adverts running down the right hand side of the page, these are paid listings. All the parts in the middle with the white background are known as organic listings which your local locksmiths work hard to stay near the top of results and it does take a lot of time and effort. Many of the company’s which use these paid adverts are national locksmiths although not all of them, the majority usually are.

The national locksmiths pay their way to the top so basically there adverts show higher up than your local locksmiths so they are more likely to be clicked on when a customer has no time to double check the full details of a locksmith. It is very expensive to get a paid advert to the top and as mentioned earlier most of these companies are trying to cover many areas, so there advertising costs are massive! So how do they get this money back? The only way is by charging customers very high fees, when they give out prices they may have hidden charges - making themselves look more inexpensive compared your local Macclesfield locksmith who probably gave you a more genuine estimate including locks, labour VAT etc.

When the national company carry out the work, you are expecting a bill for the price quoted over the phone then you are hit with a huge bill which includes the charge quoted over the phone which usually doubles when they spin a 10 minute job out to make it last 2 hours plus parts, materials, and VAT, turning what sounded like a bargain on the phone into a very expensive mistake! they will have taken a credit card number, so can avoid negotiations!

Why do people call national locksmiths instead of a Macclesfield Local Locksmith?

This will usually be because the company displays a local phone number so people just assume they are local but what they probably don’t realise is that a phone number for any area code can be easily and cheaply obtained . Most customers will call the number at the top of Google because a lot of locksmith work is on an emergency basis (sometimes known as a "distress purchase") and doesn’t have enough time to search through all the listings but if this article just stops one person being ripped off by a national it will be a good thing.

Finding an emergency locksmith in Stockport

If you need a locksmith due to being locked out, loosing keys or other emergency in the Stockport area ( including Gatley, Didsbury, Heaton Moor, Heaton Chapel, Edgeley, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, and Poynton)

There are several ways you may find a reliable locksmith

• Personal recommendation
• Yellow pages / Thomson printed directory
• Internet (google or online directories)

 Personal recommendation works and would be a good choice.

Yellow pages/ Thompson can be very misleading,  Google, also - many companies claim to be local to you in Stockport, but are not. Beware of giving out a credit card number over the phone. agree a maximum cost before agreement of works. make sure you know their full trading name and address many hide this.

How do you know the locksmith is not a criminal?
How do you know the locksmith is adequately trained and skilled?

there are many bogus associations used to make a company look legitimate ignore any logos apart from the Master Locksmiths Association

And Trading Standards "buy with confidence scheme"

boat ski pole fitting

the position can be seen in this photo on the semi circle part of the moulding. (not my boat)

another view (this is my boat)

Locksmith areas covered in Cheshire

towns in Cheshire covered by Cusworth Master Locksmiths

Wilmslow
Cheadle
Cheadle Hulme
Bramhall
Stockport
Poynton
Bollington
Macclesfield
Prestbury
Alderley Edge
Chelford
Knutsford
Peover
Northwich
Holmes Chapel
Middlewhich
Winsford
Altrincham
Hale
Hale Barns
Sale
Stretford
Gatley
Didsbury locksmith south manchester town
Edgeley
Gatley
Hazel Grove
Disley
Heald Green