Avoiding Overcharges On An All-Keys-Lost Call
All-keys-lost jobs are one of the most common places locksmith price-shopping scams show up, because the customer is stranded and less likely to shop around. Ask for a total price range before anyone drives out, and ask specifically whether that price already accounts for an all-keys-lost job, not a spare-key price.
Being stranded without any working key is exactly the situation a bait-and-switch operator is built to exploit — you are less likely to hang up and call someone else when you are stuck.
The specific bait on all-keys-lost calls
A quoted low price on the phone is sometimes for a spare-key job, not an all-keys-lost job, and the difference is not mentioned until the technician is already there. All-keys-lost genuinely costs more — that part is real — but the price should be quoted correctly for your actual situation from the first call, not revised upward once you have no way to easily get a second quote.
Questions worth asking upfront
- “Is this price for all keys lost, or for adding a spare?” — a legitimate locksmith will ask which situation you are in before quoting.
- “What is the total, including the key itself and programming?” — some quotes only cover labour, not the blank.
- “Do you need my ID and registration?” — if the answer is no, that is a red flag, not a convenience.
Why ID verification protects you too
A locksmith who does not ask for proof of ownership on an all-keys-lost job is also a locksmith who would make a key for someone else’s stolen car without checking. The verification step that feels like friction is the same thing keeping the service honest.
More on spotting the broader pattern in how locksmith scams work.
What a fair all-keys-lost quote looks like
| Element | Should be included upfront |
|---|---|
| Correct category | Priced as all-keys-lost, not spare-key |
| Total cost | Key blank plus programming, not split later |
| ID requirement | Mentioned before arrival, not sprung as a surprise |
Booking it honestly
Tell us your situation plainly — all keys lost, make and model — and we will quote the correct category from the start. Full detail on the process is in all keys lost, what happens next, and ranges are on the prices page.