HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF LOCKED OUT OF YOUR HOME?

LATE AT NIGHT?

>> FINDING A QUALIFIED LOCKSMITH TO HELP YOU OUT OF A STRESSFUL SITUATION CAN BE TOUGH AND SOON IT MAY GET EVEN TOUGHER.

LAWMAKERS IN SPRINGFIELD PASSED A LAW THAT WOULD PLACE ILLINOIS AMONG THE MAJORITY OF STATES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE LOCKSMITHS TO BE LICENSED.

SOME WORRY THAT COULD LEAVE THE DOOR WIDE OPEN TO QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES AND REDUCED CONSUMER PROTECTIONS.

CAROL MARINE AND STUDENTS FROM DEPAUL UNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOR JOURNALISM, INTEGRITY AND EXCELLENCE.

INVESTIGATE IN CARROLL JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME BACK.

CAROL, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU.

BRAND THIS.

>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS MOMENT OF PANIC WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LOCKED OUT YOUR HOUSE, WHAT DO YOU DO?

STRUGGLE SOMEHOW TO QUICKLY FIND THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB.

WE START WITH A WOMAN IN OLD TOWN, JENNY HOPS WHO SAYS SHE WAS LEFT UNPROTECTED AFTER CALLING A LOCKSMITH.

SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD TRUST.

>> IT WAS NEAR MIDNIGHT THIS WAS SOUTH STREET APARTMENT BUILDING HOBBS SAID SHE AND HER ROOMMATE FOUND THEMSELVES LOCKED OUT OF THEIR UNIT.

A PHONE NUMBER POSTED IN THE LOBBY WAS HOPS.

HOPE THE SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM.

>> THERE'S A STICKER AND IT SAYS CALL THE LOCKSMITHS.

SO WE CALL THE NUMBER.

>> MAKE A LOCKSMITH IN SECURITIES.

THE COMPANY.

SHE SAYS SHE CALLED AFTER ARRIVING TO UNLOCK HER DOOR.

SHE SAID THE LOCKSMITH TOLD THEM THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY INTO THE DOOR.

HE UNLESS HE DID A SPECIAL ROUTE.

>> AND SO HE DID, SHE SAID AND BROKE HER LACK.

THESE ARE THE PHOTOS SHE TOOK.

>> HE SAID HE WOULD FIX IT, BUT IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE IT'S A COUPLE $100 TO DO THAT ROUTE.

>> SHE SAYS THE LOCKSMITH FINISH THE JOB SORT >> WE DON'T REALIZE TOO, THAT NIGHT.

THIS LOCK IS LIKE TURNING AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, THAT'S WHAT LOCKS TO IT SAYS NO, LIKE IT IS GOING 360 DEGREES IN THE DOOR FRAME.

WHAT HAPPENED TO GINNY HOPS AND HER ROOMMATE IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE.

ACCORDING TO TOM JOHNSON OF THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU CONSUMERS ALSO THE LEGEND OR COMPLAINTS.

IT.

>> THEY'LL COME IN AND HAVE A DOOR LOCK REPLACE AND WILL FALL APART WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS LITERALLY BE LOOSENED NO LONGER WORKING.

>> AND WHEN THEY CALL THEY FIND OUT THAT GUARANTEE THE VERBAL GUARANTEES MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

>> OUT OF MONEY AND FRUSTRATED HOPS ROADIE YELP REVIEW OF HER EXPERIENCE.

>> THEY NEVER APOLOGIZED FOR THEIR OFF OF WORK AND THEY NEVER SEND ANYONE BACK OUT EVEN AFTER PROMISING TO DO SO.

IT COST $350 FOR A JOB THAT WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY.

DO NOT WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE.

>> THE OWNER OF MAKE A LOCKSMITH AND SECURITY DECLINED TO DO AN ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW AND DID NOT RESPOND EMAILS DEALING THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT HOPS COMPLAINT.

>> THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION OR IDF PR MANAGES THE LICENSING AND TAKES CONSUMER COMPLAINTS IN ILLINOIS OVER 360 INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES, INCLUDING MEGA LOCKSMITH, ARE LICENSED BY THE STATE AMONG THE REQUIREMENTS TO GET A LICENSE.

OUR PASSING AN EXAMINATION PASSING A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, REGISTERING YOUR FINGERPRINTS WITH THE STATE AND PAYING UP TO $300 IN FEES BY THEIR VERY NATURE.

LOCKSMITHS HOLD THE KEY TO A FAMILY SECURITY.

IN 2029, THE LAW THAT REGULATES LOCKSMITHS IN ILLINOIS WILL SUNSET THE RESULT OF LEGISLATION APPROVED IN SPRINGFIELD STATE.

REPRESENTATIVE EDGAR GONZALEZ, JUNIOR OF CHICAGO WAS A LEGISLATIVE CO-SPONSOR.

THE ARGUMENT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ABOUT PEOPLE WERE JUST HAVING A ROUGH TIME AND WE WANT TO REMOVE AS MANY BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO ONE OF THOSE EXCESSIVE LICENSING OR.

>> GRUBER WHO OWNS NATIONAL LAW, KEN SECURITY BELIEVES LOOSENING REQUIREMENTS IS WRONG.

THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN HOME AND THAT YOU'RE NOT SAFE.

>> SHE ALSO SITS ON THE BOARD OF IDF PR WHICH OVERSEES THE CONDUCT OF LOCKS MOVES, INCLUDING THOSE WHICH ARE NOT LICENSED BY THE STATE.

I DO KNOW THAT MOST REGULATION HAPPENS BECAUSE ABUSE OCCURRED.

THAT ABUSE, SHE SAYS, INCLUDES A LONG LIST OF UNLICENSED LOCKSMITHS.

WE CALL THEM TRUNKS.

LAMMERS OUR OUR WORLD BECAUSE THEY'RE GUYS WHO WORK OUT OF THEIR CARS.

THEY'RE NOT ASSOCIATE A BRICK AND MORTAR AND A T THEY DON'T HAVE OVERSIGHT AND TRAINING.

THEY DON'T HAVE SUPERVISION TAKE, FOR INSTANCE, A COMPANY WE FOUND ON YELP CALL.

24 7 SKOKIE LOCK KEY.

>> PUT MONEY NEWS, CAROL REPORTER DOING A STORY ON LOCKSMITHS.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU'RE LOCATED?

PLEASE?

>> THE QUESTION PUT TO THE MAN ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE WENT UNANSWERED.

THE COMPANY'S ADDRESS ON YELP, WHICH WAS JUST UPDATED THIS APRIL, 7800 NORTH LINCOLN AVENUE IN SKOKIE.

IT'S 7800 NORTH LINCOLN IN SKOKIE, NORTH SHORE, COMMUNITY BANK AND TRUST NOT A LOCKSMITH.

AFTER SOME PRODDING.

THE MAN WHO ANSWERED OUR CALL SAID THE COMPANY IS A MOBILE SERVICE AND TRANSFERRED US TO A MANAGER.

>> SOME OF THE GUN JUST GOT HUNG UP ON.

>> ONCE YOU TAKE AWAY THE LICENSING, LITERALLY ANYBODY CAN DO THIS.

>> FOR JENNY HOPS BEING LOCKED OUT AT MIDNIGHT WAS TERRIFYING.

>> I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LOCKS.

AND HE ALSO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

>> SOMETHING AND GRUVER WORRIES WILL OCCUR.

MORE AND MORE WHEN ASKED WHO WOULD REGULATE LOCKS MINUTES AFTER THE LAST SUNSETS.

>> SHE ANSWERED.

>> NO IT BECOMES THE WILD WEST.

AGAIN.

>> CURRENTLY ONLY 13 STATES REQUIRE LOCKS.

MISTER, BE LICENSED.

ONE NATIONAL GROUP THAT OVERSEES THE LOCKSMITH INDUSTRY SAYS AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT, ILLINOIS HAS THE STRICTEST LAWS.

AS FOR JENNY HOPS, SHE TOLD US AFTER MANY CALLS MANY COMPLAINTS AND THAT BAD YELP REVIEW, SHE FINALLY GOT HER MONEY BACK.

RENT CAROL, BEING LOCKED OUT CAN BE TRAUMATIC.

WHAT SHOULD CONSUMERS DO?

IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE IN THE MOMENT YOU SAY ARE YOU LICENSED?

YOU WANT THE GUY TO FIX HERE.

LOCK.

WHAT YOU DO IS YOU PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD BECAUSE IF IT TURNS OUT BADLY, YOU CAN