Notice Board
THE MLA - SUPPORTING ITS MEMBERS AND THE LOCKSMITHING INDUSTRY
One of the best reasons to be an MLA member is that , as a member , you are recognised as being part of a trusted and well-established association .
» THIS ONLY WORKS HOWEVER , WHEN consumers - your customers - know who we are , what we stand for and use us when they need a locksmith .
We are doing a lot of work to raise awareness of the organisation to consumers , your customers .
Since November 2020 , the Master Locksmith Association has secured coverage in numerous national titles including Mirror , Daily Express , This is Money , Wales online and on Radio 4 . We estimate coverage has generated over 2.58 million online views and reached 1.4 million offline audiences .
‘ we are now seeking to become a government approved organisation ’
We will be supporting this activity with increased amounts of awareness in the social space - Facebook , Instagram and Twitter , to educate consumers on home security and to position the Master Locksmiths Association as the destination for trusted security knowledge , advice and skilled locksmiths .
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Unfortunately , we are increasingly seeing more and more consumers - at least one per day - submitting their experiences with what they believe are rogue tradesman . Usually , they believe they have been overcharged , quite often have been subjected to aggressive behaviour and in worst cases left feeling vulnerable and unsafe in their own homes . Whilst , without regulation , there is very little we can do for these people other than point them in the direction of trading standards and their local MP - we can raise consumer awareness to the situation . This is one area we will be focusing our media attention on in the coming months .
The government debate which took place on the 22nd of September 2021 included discussions about the rogue trader element of the industry and the lack of regulation . As expected , the government ’ s view of not needing any government-run regulation has not changed but the debate worked extremely well in terms of establishing and embedding the Master Locksmith Association in the minds of the government as custodians of the locksmith industry . In his closing
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Inspected
‘ We are doing a lot of work to raise awareness of the organisation to consumers ’
statement from Damian Hinds , the Minister of State for Security and Borders stated :
As my hon . Friend knows , there is already a robust certification scheme in place from the Master Locksmiths Association . That scheme , which is approved by the police crime prevention initiative , Secured by Design , ensures that approved locksmiths are appropriately inspected and qualified to deliver the services required by customers — as he rightly says , sometimes in very difficult circumstances . The association also provides guidance and advice to consumers on pricing , products and equipment , hiring locksmiths and how to spot scammers .
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Master Locksmiths Association for its efforts to ensure that the public are further protected against scammers and rogue traders via its approval scheme . As I said , I would encourage members of the public to utilise the association ’ s advice , and I would also encourage locksmiths to use the scheme . So , a government minister has encouraged consumers to use the MLA and locksmiths to join our approval scheme – which other bodies in the industry can lay testament to having the same said about them ? We are now seeking to become a government approved organisation to make this official and , particularly in the minds of consumers , position the Master Locksmiths Association as the right place to come to find a trusted and skilled locksmith .
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MAY / JUN 2022
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