Let’s be real—how many of us have stood in front of a key-cutting kiosk at a big-box store, holding a worn-out key, thinking, “This’ll do the trick!”? Spoiler alert: It probably won’t. Key duplication seems simple, but here in Oakland, where security is as layered as our fog, cutting corners can leave your home or car vulnerable. We’ve seen it all at Lockology Locksmith, from snapped keys in ignitions to front doors that mysteriously “unlock themselves” (hint: it’s not ghosts). Let’s walk through the most common mistakes homeowners make and how to avoid them—because nobody wants to become the neighborhood cautionary tale.
Table of Contents
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Verified Reviews
Darlene Walters
December 30
★★★★★
They are a great company! The response time was awesome and even though my auto needs took several hours David stayed until the work was completed. I highly recommend them to everyone who has any type of lockout issue!
★★★★★
Nadav was the locksmith who reprogrammed my keyfob to work with car after it was stolen. I was given an estimated time when he would arrive and quoted a price of $265. The reprogramming was fast. Now I know how fast it probably took for the thieves to steal my car. Nadav is very approachable with any questions I have regarding reprogramming, car door keylock cylinder, preventative measurements against theft and this experience with responding to customers who need to reprogram their key fobs after theft. If you're in this predicament and there near by. From my experience you'll get reasonably priced and fast service.
★★★★★
Ori is awesome! The keys to my dad's Mercedes Benz GL Class went out randomly. Mercedes quoted him $1K for one replacement key and the service fee to program it to his car. On top of that, it would have taken 2 weeks to deliver that key. I looked around and found Lockology and Ori, who was very understanding and thorough with the process. Our car had to be towed to their office but even with the holidays and circumstances, Ori was very patient and extended his time window today for us considering the time it took to tow the car.
We had two keys made, took around three hours due to Mercedes' complicated system but Ori did it! Both key fobs were new, tested, and functioned perfectly. I added pictures of them. Both keys combined were less than the price Mercedes quoted us for just one key.
For anyone who drives a Mercedes, lots of locksmiths don't specialize in this field but Ori did nothing but a splendid job. Overall I appreciate his understanding and patience, thank you again. :)
David Sanders
December 22
★★★★★
Excellent 💯 service,quick and professional! Thanks 🙏
Raphaël Vannson
December 3
★★★★★
Nice, efficient, knowledgeable and quick!
Totally worth the $ to get brand new keys made for my 2007 BMW, cheaper than the dealer and did not require me to come over twice, they came to me.
S
Samantha A.
November 26
★★★★★
Excellent, thorough service! I had an emergency with a tenant and they worked with me to find a time that fit, even while I was out of town. They verified ownership and confirmed the tenant's availability so everyone stayed aligned. The locksmith who arrived was communicative and opened the lock in under fifteen minutes. I have a Yale Assure 2 digital lock that I wanted to preserve and every other company said they would need to break it. This team opened it with no damage at all. If you want a trusted and reputable locksmith that truly knows their craft, this is the one. Outstanding service, guaranteed.
Lucia Brammer
November 25
★★★★★
So so helpful! I called them at 8am and they came around 10am.
The person helping me was kind and reassuring person. Highly recommend!
Gerry Goodman
November 20
★★★★★
Edgar was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. He explained everything clearly, and saved me money by offering an option I hadn’t considered.