review date: july 29, 2020
purchase date: june 12, 2020
i was looking to get a padlock key copied. after calling around, driving around and getting nowhere, i called up a 4th company, binns lock and key.
monty binns answered the phone and with great listening and probing questions, was able to pretty quickly determine that i had actually bought a "throwaway" padlock. meaning it was a cheap make, came with only 2 keys and the keys were non-replicable.
we subsequently met up as monty was on mobile service calls and he presented several options, and took his time to explain in detail, what padlocks are about, as well as key copying. in addition, because i had keys copied the same day elsewhere, he mentioned that a good locksmith can brand (up to 4 characters) each key so that you know what key is for which door. none of these things were mentioned by the 3 prior establishments i contacted the same day. ????
what i appreciated about monty was the professionalism displayed, he was very respectful and was sincerely interested in providing a solution for what i was using the padlock for. he didn't try to upsell the most expensive lock, just provided something practical for the situation at hand.he also provided guidance on how to care for the padlock, given that it was being used outdoors, so that the padlock would last long.
binns has a brick-and mortar store and also does mobile calls. if you're in a jam they will do their best to accommodate and help you. otherwise you can call them and confirm store hours, and/or make an appointment if necessary to see them at their store. binns also does residential and commercial locksmith jobs.
verdict: i would call binns lock and key again for future locksmith work. monty is fair, experienced, and professional and will sell/service what you need to get the job done, at a fair price.
i would recommend binns to anyone looking for locksmith work that needs to be done.????