[♪♪♪]
[Makda] It's a chilly
night in late November.
And a woman sits in the
middle of an emergency.
I'm locked out of my place.
[Makda] Help is on the way,
she's told.
But as we're
about to find out...
Hey!
[man] Sorry about the wait.
[Makda] There are no guarantees
when you're picking a locksmith.
The woman, in fact, is a
Marketplace producer.
And this house is a testing
ground that we've rigged up
with hidden cameras.
Well, I think those
all look pretty good.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
[Makda] Our plan is
to call locksmiths
over the next few nights.
-There we go...
-There, we know that one.
Check Point Door and Lock.
We've heard a lot
about this one.
[Makda] From companies
we've heard might not give us
a fair shake.
It says $15-- 15
minute response time.
[Makda] John Seitz is with us.
He's got ten years experience as
a locksmith, and we've hired him
to help with our test.
I wanna show you-- we've
got some cameras set up.
-[Makda] Let's go inside.
-[John] Sounds good.
[Makda] Together,
we'll be in a back room...
And if I just click here,
we get a closer look.
[John] Lovely.
[Makda] Watching for signs of
shoddy service, and much more.
Like what happens
to Dorothy Sterling.
He just couldn't
get the lock to work.
[Makda] She's 94.
And needed the antique
lock on her front door fixed.
And he kept trying and he just
couldn't get it to work because
he didn't know what to do.
[Makda] The locksmith is both
inexperienced, she says,
and threatening.
He told me he was going to
remove the lock,
and leave me with nothing.
[Makda] Now it's her carpenter,
Titus, who's fixing
the mess left behind.
So as you can see here, he broke
the door in several places.
[Makda] Titus feels bad
because he's the one who
found the locksmith.
So I called three different
companies, and the one that
responded to me
first was Check Point.
[Makda] Online, Check Point
promises safety, trust,
and peace of mind.
Customers, though, post reviews
that use words like "horrible",
"overpriced", and
"highway robbery".
As you can see, this is the
lock which they installed.
[Makda] The Check Point
locksmith can't fix
Dorothy's old lock.
And the new one he
installs is poorly designed.
-Every time you turn this--
-You're knocking against that?
You're knocking-- your thumb
would be knocking
against this right here.
[Makda] To top it off, Dorothy
says she is charged
twice what she's quoted.
And by the end of the
ordeal, pays $1,500.
It was not a good
experience for anybody.
Especially for...a woman, alone.
[Makda] Back at our test house,
we're going to call Check Point.
So that's the housing...
[Makda] But first, our expert
John is helping plan our test,
with a brand new
lock he's re-setting.
So you're replacing the pins
with ones that would be
easier to pick?
Yes.
[Makda] He says just about
anyone will be able
to pick this lock.
Maybe even me.
He gives me a few pointers.
And then you're just going to
get the pins to move up and down
just like the key
would, one at a time.
[Makda] And in roughly
three and a half minutes...
Take it all out?
Take it all out,
because it is picked.
And then it's with a
flathead screwdriver,
you finish the turn.
-That's it?
-That's it.
[Makda] We're in.
Is this a fair
experiment, though?
Yes.
It's obviously been made easier,
I would call it a good test
for beginners.
So anyone claiming
to be a locksmith,
they should be able to
get through it.
[Makda] As day turns to night,
we set our test in motion...
Hi there, I hope
you can help me,
I'm locked out of my place...
[Makda] With a
call to Check Point.
[Makda] It's one of the
cheapest quotes we find.
How much do you think
it usually costs then?
Like 15, plus 35?
[Makda] It's over an
hour of waiting.
And then...
I think that might be him.
Are you the locksmith?
Are you check--
you're Check Point?
[Makda] The one thing he
makes clear quickly...
There's no way to pick the lock.
[woman] No...
No.
[Makda] Not true,
says our expert.
Any locksmith seeing this
lock should know it can be
easily picked, but his
only solution is to drill.
Does that mean
it's more expensive?
[She gasps] $350!
Okay, 'cause they said it was
going to be like, 35, plus--
[Makda] Plus about
$90 for a new lock.
Our producer urges him
again to try picking.
Are you sure you
can't just pick it?
You can't pick this?
A year?
That's what he said.
He said it-- that you
couldn't pick this lock.
Can you pick that lock?
I picked it in 3 minutes and 30
seconds with your help there.
And I do remind you that I
did not teach you very well.
[Makda] Before he breaks out
the drill, we ask one more time.
Okay, and you don't
think we can pick it?
[Laughing] Okay.
Okay.
[Makda] He spends the next
two minutes or so trying,
but with no luck.
Thank you for trying.
[Makda] Locksmiths are
supposed to ask for ID,
proof we live here,
right off the bat.
But this Check Point technician
is well into destroying our lock
by the time he finally asks.
Y-yes...
Yes.
Yeah, I'm renting it, yeah.
I rent it, yeah.
Uh, I couldn't get a hold of
her today-- but it's okay,
she'll be okay.
[Makda] He doesn't
finish the thought,
but does finish the job.
[woman] You got it.
[Makda] Including a new lock.
Our expert, though,
is not impressed.
What are you thinking right now?
That was everything
I didn't want it to be.
[Makda] A bigger surprise
awaits, when it's time
to settle the bill.
Okay, so how much-- I'm totally
confused as to the price.
No!
No.
If I give you cash
can you do like 450?
[Makda] And with that,
the call ends.
[woman] Bye...
[Makda] We contact Check Point.
They admit their locksmith
should have asked for ID,
tried harder to pick the lock,
and should have quoted a
final price before
starting the job.
Check Point is now
updating its procedures.
And agrees to
compensate 94-year-old Dorothy.
This is your industry.
Yeah.
This is the worst
part of my industry.
This is the worst part.
I'm glad you're taking
a good look at it,
I have heard all about it,
but that was sad.
That was just really sad.
You almost look like
you're taking it personally.
This is my livelihood that I
just watched someone make
a joke out of.
[Makda] This is
your Marketplace.
[Phone ringing]
Oh, hey, is this
Locksmith Experts?
[Makda] It's the second night of
our test house, and we're on the
phone with a company
called Locksmith Experts.
I have locked myself out of my
house, I can't find my keys.
[Makda] The Better Business
Bureau says Locksmith Experts
has a "pattern of complaints,"
mostly about over-charging.
As one reviewer puts it,
"these people are not experts,
"they are thieves."
The company admits it has a
few unhappy customers--
but says most are satisfied.
Yep.
Oh, how much, how much do
you think that might be?
[Makda] We heard a similar quote
last night from a different
locksmith, and it
ends up costing $450.
He said the lock was
un-pickable and insisted on
destroying it to let us in.
Our expert John is back with us.
And once again, he's reset a
brand-new lock to make it
easier to pick.
[Makda] This is night two,
what are you expecting?
[John] I'm hoping for
much better tonight.
Just a straight call, honesty,
an attempt to pick the lock.
[Makda] Oh, there we go,
car's pulling in.
Hi, are you my locksmith?
Hi.
I'm okay.
[Makda] He says his name is
Serge, and the very next thing
he says is the proper thing.
Uh, I do.
[Makda] We show Serge ID and a
rental agreement to prove we
live here-- and he immediately
tries picking the lock.
Okay, okay.
Is that like, on top of the...
Okay.
Like a service call,
sort of thing?
You're not?
Oh, wow.
Thank you!
You're smiling, is that how
it's supposed to be done?
Yeah, that's how it's
supposed to be done.
[Makda] Unlike the many
complaints we hear about
Locksmith Experts, our
experience with Serge
is going well--
until it's time to pay.
How much can I give you?
Uh, yeah.
Oh, wow.
Okay.
[Makda] $80 And a Google review.
[woman] Thank you.
[Makda] Problem is, it's
against Google guidelines
to offer incentives
for a review.
And when we tell
Locksmith Experts, they say
it shouldn't have happened.
It's against their policy.
But there are other things
about this company that
are raising questions.
Like for some reason,
they show up when you call
Port Credit Locksmith.
Or Brampton Locksmith.
Or Rouge Locksmith.
So we couldn't open the door
and the next day we had a big
gathering here in the garden...
[Makda] It's Birchmount
Locksmith when Tom Gehrels
calls them last summer.
I looked on Google Maps because
I wanted to use somebody local
that had a good reputation, and
looked at three different ones,
found this one called Birchmount
Locksmith which you know,
seemed to be right up
the street from us.
[Makda] They quote Tom a price
of $30 for the service call.
45 and up for the
lock replacement.
So what was your impression
of this locksmith
when they showed up?
The $45 "and up" now went to
$100 just to open the door and
on top of that, $185
to replace the lock.
[Makda] Tom fights back,
and gets a discount,
but what he really doesn't like
is the fact Birchmount Locksmith
doesn't actually do the job.
It turned out he was working for
a company out of concord called
"Locksmith Experts".
[Makda] Sure enough, the
receipt says Locksmith Experts.
So what happened to Birchmount?
We invite Tom to go looking
for answers, just up the street.
There's 530 there.
Okay, it's on this
side of the street, then.
[Makda] Google Maps tells us
Birchmount locksmith should be
right around here.
What's the number again?
572.
Okay this is a
building at 570...
And this should be 572.
[Tom] There's nothing here.
It's just an empty lot.
There's no locksmith here.
[Makda] It doesn't
look like it.
No.
Why do you think they
would pick this address?
I guess they just
don't want to be found.
Clearly there's
something scuzzy going on.
[Makda] We ask
Locksmith Experts to explain.
They say they act as a
subcontractor for many
companies.
And did not create
any fake listings.
Back at our test house, we want
to know how far the fakery goes
in the locksmith industry.
Okay, so this is right
near where we are...
[Makda] So we try
searching Google for
"a locksmith near me",
and find a company called
Certified Locksmith Etobicoke.
Right there.
Yeah, Certified
Locksmith Etobicoke.
Let's just pull it up.
It's supposed to be
right in the neighbourhood.
Oh hey, I'm wondering
if you can help me.
[Makda] But when we call
Certified and ask who, exactly,
will be coming,
things get confusing.
What's the name of the
locksmith that shows up?
It's FC Locksmith.
[Makda] FC Locksmith claims to
be one of the best
locksmith companies in Toronto.
And seems to have
branches in Ottawa and Calgary.
So why is FC coming up as
Certified on Google Maps?
We decide that instead of a
locksmith coming to us,
we'll go to the locksmith.
So we're going to go to
Certified Locksmith Etobicoke,
it says it's six minutes away.
[phone] Certified Locksmith
Etobicoke may be closed by the
time you arrive.
[Makda] Our GPS leads
the way toward Certified--
or maybe FC-- Locksmith,
and in minutes...
There it is,
2975 Bloor Street West.
-It's right there.
-It's right there.
That does not look
like a locksmith company.
That does not look
like a locksmith company.
But it says right here, it
says 2975 Bloor Street West,
Certified Locksmith Etobicoke.
But Parama is there,
which looks like--
-A credit union.
-A credit union, yeah.
[Makda] The deception,
we discover, doesn't end here.
We find more than 20 fake
locksmith locations
around Toronto saying they
are linked to FC Locksmith.
Which makes us wonder about all
these five-star reviews we see
on FC's Google business listing.
When we dig deeper, we figure
out most of them are fakes too.
Dalton Fincher is actually
American astronaut
Clayton Anderson, seen here on
the Space Shuttle Discovery.
And Denver Cothron is actually
Ian Roland, a lawyer who happens
to work just next door to us.
So we head over to see
if Ian Roland knows his image
is being used to
promote FC Locksmith.
So this is the company here,
you can see there's 57 reviews.
And if I scroll down,
there you are.
That's your picture, right?
[Ian] Denver!
[He laughs]
-[Makda] Your name's Denver?
-Denver.
Interesting.
"I got locked out of
my car the other day.
"They responded right
away and solved the problem.
"The technician that
came was a real lifesaver."
I have no idea
what that's about.
I certainly didn't get
locked out of my car.
That's not you?
That's not me.
No, it's not me.
Well, the picture's me,
but nothing else is.
And I have no idea
how they got it.
There are a lot of fake
reviews on this site.
I'm a lawyer, it's an
appropriation of my image.
I may have to pursue it.
-Thank you for that information.
-You're welcome.
[Makda] A one-star review
we managed to find on
FC's Google listing comes with
a twist of irony.
A man named Colin tells
people to not use this company.
He says the locksmith "mangled,
scratched and dinged" his door.
In response, FC calls it
a fake review, and says,
"It's just one of our
competitors."
But we track down Colin, who
doesn't want to come on camera,
and both he and
his review are real.
FC denies allegations of
fake reviews or locations.
It says all those positive
reviews could have been
posted by anyone,
and they're checking with their
marketing company about
any fake locations.
[Makda] This is
your Marketplace.
We're mapping out deception
in the locksmith industry.
[woman] So you're in your house.
You're locked out.
You want something nearby,
you call something that looks
ten minutes away.
Like, ten minutes away, tops.
-A local locksmith.
-A local locksmith.
And what you actually get is
a grocery store,
not the locksmith company
you have called.
[Makda] Each of these red dots
represents a supposed locksmith
company in the Toronto area.
But after months of digging,
we discover none of them are
real locksmith locations.
Here's what they really are...
Drug stores and retail stores.
Parking lots and gas stations.
Strip malls and banks.
It makes us wonder,
how much can you really trust
Google map searches?
Mike Blumenthal is a
search engine consultant.
He helps businesses get exposure
through local Google searches.
In locksmiths,
in appliance repair,
in moving and
garage door opening.
Any home service business,
you see a massive amount of
fake listings at the present.
What's the harm in that?
Well, the harm is severalfold.
One is legitimate businesses
can't compete, the other is it's
very deceptive to the consumer.
A lot of times these businesses
that are willing to cheat on
their listings are also willing
to cheat on the reviews,
willing to cheat at who they
send out to repair.
They could be sending people
into your home that are not
either qualified to be there or
shouldn't be there because of
background issues.
But doesn't Google have
rules against fake listings?
They have a lot of rules
against fake listings,
but they don't
enforce the rules.
[Makda] We tell Google and the
locksmith companies about all
the fake listings we've
uncovered, and now all of them
have been taken down.
Google says because of our
investigation, they're auditing
all locksmith
listings across Canada.
But Mike says it will take more
than investigations like ours to
solve the bigger problem.
It's gone beyond trusting Google
as a business to fix these
issues.
After watching this for 11
years, the only solution is a
political one.
There needs to be rules at the
regulatory level with serious
consequences.
Financial and perhaps even
criminal consequences to both
the businesses that create fake
listings and deceive people, as
well as to Google.
[Makda] It's the only way, he
says, we'll ever truly close the
door on deception.
