Our Blog Get the latest information and tips when it comes to key replacement and lock technology.
You can never be too careful in today’s world, especially when it comes to the security of your home or car. Locksmiths have tools designed to bypass locked doors, which grants access to your property, garage, home, and business facility.
With your security and safety at risk, knowledge of how to ensure you hire a trustworthy locksmith is key. Below you will find useful information from the pros at Sonic Locksmith.
Generally speaking, locksmiths are licensed and insured for the areas they operate in. Occasionally, a company will make a trip outside of their area to provide service in a location where their insurance and license is not valid. In some states such as Florida, locksmiths do not require a license, but this tip is very important in states that require them.
As a homeowner or car owner in the greater New York City area that includes Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and more, home and car security are more than likely some of your top concerns.
In recent years, many people have turned to using smart locks to secure their home, and most car brands are creating keys that are smart. With smart locks come more questions as to their security. Are smart locks more secure than traditional locks?
Smart locks for your home connect to your WiFi, soif you haven’t taken the proper security measures for your WiFi or passwords, then it’s possible your smart lock could be hacked into. It’s vital to take the correct precautions for a smart lock by using strong passwords and even employing two-factor authentication. By following these procedures, it’s easier to ensure that someone can’t hack into your system.
Smart keys for cars communicate with the car via radio waves. These are uniquely programmed for your car alone, which is why it generally takes a dealership a long time to replace these kinds of keys if they are lost or stolen. Using one for your car has definite advantages over traditional keys, but make sure you keep a spare key around that can unlock your car in case you ever need it.
Smart locks for homes can use keys. It depends on the brand. You can also use your smartphone to control your lock over Bluetooth or WiFi. Some systems will even work when you are not at home. They may also have a fingerprint system or keypad that allows you to create codes that can be distributed to family or friends. These codes can also be temporary for workers who may need inside your home.
Losing your keys in Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, or the surrounding areas can be a major inconvenience. You lose access to your home, your car, and potentially other things like a P.O. box or padlocks. It’s generally easy to locate spare keys to most of those, but a car can be more difficult, especially if you don’t have a spare key.
We rely on our cars almost every day to get us where we need to go and we need to be able to access them as quickly as possible. When the key is lost, you need to call someone who can get to you the fastest. You need a locksmith.
Your first inclination may be to call the car dealer, but there are several reasons you shouldn’t do that. You can end up incurring more costs and waiting longer than if you called a locksmith instead.
More often than not, you’re going to end up paying a lot more at a dealership for any kind of car parts. This holds true when it comes to replacing keys as well.
Dealerships also won’t come to you, meaning you will have to figure out a way to get your car to them so they can help you obtain a new key. Remember, you can’t drive your car, so you may end up having to call a tow truck or take a cab to obtain their services.
When you go to a dealership for a key replacement, remember -- that’s not the only thing they do. They sell cars, they service them, they’re busy handling hundreds of other administrative tasks. Your emergency may not be an emergency to them. They may just end up calling a locksmith for you and you may end up owing them a service fee for doing something you could have done on your own.
Additionally, most dealerships are only available during office hours, whereas other options like Sonic Locksmith are accessible 24 hours a day.