Frequently Asked Questions

We’re open to walk-in customers at our Vista shop from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with technicians on call after hours. Our mobile service is open for 24 hours a day except from 4:00 p.m. Friday to 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to providing mobile service, we also have a fully-equipped shop conveniently located in a central tri-city location.

We are located off Hwy 78 on Vista Village Drive between Plymouth Dr and Camino Corto. The shop is within the same shopping strip mall as Western Union, Centro Latino de Servicios, Aztec Barber Shop, Jose’s Party Supplies, Vista Village Floral, Servi-Mex, Móvil, Grupo 8 de Mayo and Salon de Belleza.

The address is:

280 Vista Village Dr. Ste. 101
Vista, CA 92083

We are across the street from AT&T, Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Burger King and Fruttos Yoghurt.

If you are like most people, you have a big investment in your automobile.In years gone by, almost anyone could open a locked car using only one tool. It only took a second or two. Today, however, auto makers have significantly tightened up the security of almost every car on the road. This means that a trained professional must have dozens of tools and techniques available in order to open your car with no damage.Today’s locksmith owns hundreds of dollars worth of tools and books on car opening. That is why he or she must charge a fair price to open your car. When you call a locksmith, a trained professional responds to your call. He or she arrives in a service vehicle stacked with thousands of dollars worth of tools and machinery, ready for any emergency.Repairing the damage caused by an unprofessional car opening far outweighs the cost a proper opening would have cost in the first place.In many towns, the police no longer will respond to lockouts unless it is a dire emergency. The police departments of today are concerned with the financial responsibility that has come from accidentally damaging citizens’ vehicles.

• When you call a tow truck driver, or allow any other unskilled person to attempt to unlock your car, you risk unnecessary damage to your vehicle. So next time you’re locked out, please call a trained locksmith for quick professional service. Police Departments in most towns do not open cars after experience shows them that they may damage many new vehicles.
• Locksmiths are trained professionals who use finesse, not force.
• A botched car opening job can easily cause $150.00 worth of damage to your door panel.
• Locksmiths are trained to use dozens of tools so they are ready to open your vehicle properly.

Usually, we can rekey your current locks, whether home, office, or auto, and just provide a new set of keys.

Every situation is different, which is why we always take a first-hand look, make some recommendations, and provide a free estimate. Many times the estimate can be delivered over the phone.

Often we can. Here’s a good test. Take the key that fits the primary lock in your house and try it in a different lock. If the key can be inserted all the way into the lock, but just won’t turn it, then that lock can be rekeyed to fit the primary lock’s key. You can test all of the locks this way.

The best and easiest way to explain master-keying is to think of a hotel. The owner has one key that fits everything – all the rooms, store-rooms, offices, etc. The office manager has a key that fits only the offices. The maids have a key that only fit the rooms. Then the guest have a key that fits only the room in which they are staying.

If one of the guests leaves and takes their key, then a locksmith can come and invalidate that key and re-key the room to a new key. This will not, however, affect the other keys – unless the locksmith is poorly trained. Or if one of the house-keeping personnel leaves, the doors can be re-keyed to replace that key which will not affect the rest of the keys.