I am extremely disappointed with my most recent experience with this company, particularly because I had previously used them in December 2025 and was very pleased with their work. In December, I initially requested that my locks be re-keyed. At that time, I was advised that because my locks were old, replacing them would be a better option. I appreciated that recommendation and ultimately had eight new locks installed for $400. Fast-forward nine months to September 2026. I urgently needed my locks re-keyed and submitted a project request through Thumbtack. When I realized that one of the responding companies was the same company I had previously used, I was actually pleased. Based on my prior experience, I felt comfortable using them again. Unfortunately, this experience was completely different. The individual who contacted me quoted $500 to re-key my locks. I questioned the price because it was more than I had paid this same company nine months earlier to replace eight locks entirely. I was initially told that prices had increased because of the cost of gas. When I continued to question the price, I was then told that re-keying is a complicated process and that replacing the locks would actually be cheaper. That concerned me. If replacing the locks was the less expensive option, I believe that should have been explained to me from the beginning so that I, as the customer, could make an informed decision. I contacted the company again and explained what had happened. They appeared surprised by the $500 quote and told me that replacing the locks would generally cost between $350 and $450. When I was asked what I considered fair, I told them I was not trying to cheat anyone and asked them to give me their price. We agreed upon $400—the same amount I had paid in December. The new locks were installed, although I immediately noticed that they appeared to be of lower quality than the locks this company had installed nine months earlier. After leaving home and returning, I also discovered that one of the keys would go into the lock but would stick. There was another problem that I found particularly frustrating. When it was time to pay, I was told they did not accept credit cards and that payment had to be made in cash. I had not planned to pay cash. Their Thumbtack profile stated that they accepted credit cards, so this created a significant and unnecessary inconvenience for me. When I contacted the company, I was told they had stopped accepting cards because of bad experiences with previous customers and that their marketing person would correct the profile. As of the time I am writing this review, the profile still states that credit cards are accepted. Finally, the follow-up regarding the sticking key was extremely disappointing. The locks were installed on Tuesday. I contacted the installer and understood that he would return to address the problem. I heard nothing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I finally contacted him again on Friday, and he agreed to come Saturday between 2:00 and 2:30. At 2:47, when he still had not arrived, I had to call again to ask whether he was coming. When he arrived, he immediately told me, "The lock is working." I explained that I had never said the lock did not work. My complaint was that the key sticks when entering the lock. He inserted the key, it stuck, he jiggled it until it went in, and again told me that the key worked. That completely missed the point of my concern. What disappoints me most is that I know this company is capable of providing better service because I experienced it myself in December 2025. Nine months ago, I was a satisfied customer. Today, I am a customer who will not use this company again. My concerns are not based on one isolated issue. They are based on the combination of questionable and inconsistent pricing explanations, failure to clearly explain the less expensive option, lower-quality locks than I previously received, inaccurate payment information on the Thumbtack profile, the inconvenience of unexpectedly requiring cash, poor follow-up, lack of punctuality, and the dismissive handling of my concern about the sticking key. I expect a company to be upfront about its pricing, payment methods, and options, and I expect concerns about newly installed products to be taken seriously. Based on my September 2026 experience, I found the service unprofessional and no longer reflective of the quality of work I received from this company in December 2025. Unfortunately, I will look elsewhere the next time I need locksmith services. I attached pictures of my old and new lock for comparison.
A1 Locksmith
- 14 hires
- Based in Detroit, MI
- 6 years in business
- 9 employees
- Responds in about 5 minutes
- Background checked
About A1 Locksmith
We are committed to providing fast, reliable, and affordable locksmith and garage door services. With skilled technicians, prompt response times, and a focus on customer satisfaction, we deliver dependable solutions you can trust.
Reviews
They called right away and were able to come within an hour with no rush/weekend charge. Our locks were changed quickly and we can use our back door again. Would definitely recommend!
They did a very great job very quick and very reasonable
Sam was excellent!
Sam was quick to arrive and fixed the issues my door lock was having. Highly recommend!
Timely, responsive and great communication.
Extremely expensive. I provided my own locks, all he had to do was replace them. I still came out of $700. Then i had to specifically ask for him to gather the trash, his response was “thats not my trash”! He did end up gathering the trash but i shouldn’t have to ask. Additionally i was supposed to get my garage lock changed but that wouldve been an extra $130. After already spending $700?? No thanks. If i wasnt in dire need of them being changed i would have waited. Also, some locks are in the opposite orientation. Up and down is supposed to mean locked. The back door knob shows left and right when the door is locked. I told him its wrong and opposite and he said something about the core and how it has to go that way 🙄 overall im not happy at all.
Great price and speedy work! Took care of my emergency within an hour!
Moses at A1 Locksmith was nice and he changed out my old entry way door locks in no time. He had told me in our initial conversation that it may be an hour but he was done with 20 mins and everything works PERFECTLY! He even gave me a little heads up about changing my digital lock batteries every 6 months, so I won’t have any issues. I set a reminder on my phone. He didn’t clean up behind himself, that’s the only thing but the price was much cheaper than I expected when he looked at what I wanted him to do, so I didn’t really mind about cleaning.