Structure honest quotes to avoid FTC-flagged locksmith bait-and-switch practices

Steps

1. Familiarize the business with the FTC's position that bait-and-switch pricing, quoting a low price and then charging substantially more on-site, is an unfair or deceptive practice under the FTC Act.
2. Provide customers with a clear, itemized quote before starting work, distinguishing the base service call fee from potential added costs such as parts, after-hours rates, or complexity found on-site.
3. Get any change in scope or price approved by the customer before proceeding, rather than presenting a bill after the job is done.
4. Keep marketing/dispatch practices transparent, using the business's real name and location rather than presenting a call-center operation as a local business, since misrepresenting locality is a commonly flagged locksmith-scam pattern.
5. If a customer complaint alleges bait-and-switch behavior, address it directly, since aggregated consumer complaints can lead to enforcement scrutiny of a pattern of practice.