Fast 5: Professional Locksmith Answers FAQs

The Phila-Locksmith team is here with answers to some of the most frequent questions that we receive from customers and today we have one of our Philadelphia Locksmiths providing the answers!
What makes deadbolts more secure than normal knob sets?
Deadbolts are more secure than normal knob sets because of the physically larger bolt that is being placed into the wall. Since the bolt inside of a deadbolt lock is larger and goes deeper into the wall’s recess there is less likely a chance that a thief or burglar is able wedge something in between the lock and wall to get it open.
What is the difference between re-keying and changing a lock?
Changing a lock and re-keying can both have the same result however re-keying is a service that is actually an alternative to changing a lock. Re-keying is when the cylinder of the lock is the only thing being replaced, and allows for a different key to operate the lock. Re-keying is useful in a situation where you have completely lost a key and do not want an outsider having access to your house. You may need or want to have your entire lock changed if any part of the lock is damaged or if you are looking to increase the security level of the lock.
My key turns in the ignition but will not start the car, what could be the issue?
The common problem that this represents, especially in post 2002 vehicles, is that there may be a fault with the communication between the key and car computer. Most people may confuse this with an ignition problem but normally there is just an issue with the transponder key. Since the transponder key needs to wirelessly connect with a chip inside of the vehicle for it to start the vehicle will be disabled when the connection can not be established even if the car has been used with the key before. In order to get the key function again you will either have to have the key replaced or have it reprogrammed to the computer, reprogramming is an option that is not very expensive however replacing a transponder key is more expensive than replacing a traditional car key.
Why do prices for similar services vary?
If you have viewed the price list on our commercial home page then you will see that each service has a range of prices next to it rather than an exact price. The reason for this is that depending on the type of lock as well as the type of key there can be a drastic difference in the amount of work the technician needs to complete. For example if one of our locksmiths needed to open a mid-90’s sedan than that would run much cheaper than opening a 2013 Cadillac this is due to two main factors. The first is that newer cars have a higher level of security within the car so the doors are much more difficult to open and technician who can do so successfully are harder to find. The second main reason for the price difference is that our locksmith is responsible for what he does to your vehicle during service so there would be a greater risk of scratch damage to a brand new car than one that is already worn.
What does the service fee entail?
The service fee that is charged by Phila-Locksmith is a flat fee that is applied to every service that we perform and is quite standard in the mobile locksmith industry. The $35 service charge is used to cover the technicians time for traveling out, gas costs as well as estimate. The reason that we, and most other mobile service, charge a service fee is to prevent customers who are not necessarily willing to pay from making our technician make an unneeded trip.