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Ballard Lock & Key
Category: Home Services Keys & Locksmiths Keys & Locksmiths [Edit]
7352 15th Ave NW(between 73rd St & 75th St)
Seattle, WA 98117
Serving Seattle and surrounding area
Neighborhood: Ballard
(206) 783-6360
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 4 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
About This Business:
Specialties: Commercial Services, Residential, Auto Services Available Daily 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week Commercial Services: Lock change / repair /… read more »
46 reviews for Ballard Lock & Key
46 reviews in English
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Review from Brad R.
3/8/2012
These guys are amazing. They have an awesome business model and cheers to the guys that work nights and weekends. These guys are top notch. Our house keys got stolen out of our vehicle on a Saturday night and we freaked out that next morning when we found out. Luckily all we had to do was call these guys Sunday morning and someone came out to our house by noon that day. That is unbelievable. They came to the house and re-keyed all 10 locks on our doors within an hour and had a set of new keys ready for us.
Fantastic work, really polite, and fast acting. If you have key problems, these guys are the ones to call. -
Review from Ming L.
Bellevue, WA
3/28/2012
Moved into my condo, and my mailbox didn't have a key. Got them to drill and replace the lock. Got quoted 75-85, and it was 85.
He was here on time, and stick to the quote (albeit the high end of the quote, but at least it was nothing unexpected).
Overall, would use them again. Wouldn't go as far as to say I wouldn't use anyone else, but they are on the list.
One tiny thing, as a FYI, is that when you give them a credit card, they just write the 16 digits down on their sheet. Doesn't seem the most secure by any means, but it's been two months now and no identity theft, so I am assuming they treat that information with care. -
Review from A B.
Seattle, WA
1/19/2012
I usually keep a spare key somewhere in the neighborhood. This worked until I had one of those days when everything goes wrong.
I lost my key and access to the spare one I kept nearby was now blocked off by a fence due to a construction project.
I had just come back from a bad experience at a library book sale. Other buyers were so obnoxious that I was tempted to put my hand on their foreheads a la Benny Hinn and shout "Lose your demon!"
When trying to rent the car for this excursion, my credit cards wouldn't work. I ended up trudging 6 blocks up a hill to another agency, where they miraculously went through, but I paid almost twice as much. Arrrrggghhhhh..........
And I got a case of the runs. Because I'd lost my house key, I had to high tail it to a local business and use their facilities.
I didn't quite make it. I had to trash a pair of drawers, clean up the floor, and wash part of my jeans in the sink. Fortunately, this toilet was in a hospital. They're used to this. You could tell by the abundance of antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer at every corner.
Was I turning into Job from the Old Testament? Was Mars hitting my ascendant, did I have a bad moon rising?
Fortunately I still had my cell phone and I was able to remember the name of this business.
I have been aware of locksmith scams (usually Israeli companies - look it up) and did not wish to fall into the trap of the old "bait and switch" which a lot of these outfits will pull - they will give a lowball estimate and charge 4-5x that. Often the work is inept. That would have been the icing on the s****y day cake.
You might want to get a few business cards from places like this one that have actual storefronts and have been in the area for a while. Davern (on Greenwood) is another one that has an actual storefront.
The scammers tend to never have a storefront yet will have big ads in the yellow pages and are also listed online (even on Yelp).
There are however, mobile locksmiths that are legit and may operate out of their own homes - unfortunately, the scammers have flooded the listings and it's difficult to separate the chaff from the wheat. Get to know your local locksmiths, or at least where the legit ones are.
BL+ K showed up in about 30 minutes and got the lock open in less than 5. No issues, no scams, no astronomical charges, no broken lock. The other plus was my formerly "malfunctioning" credit card worked fine with them. At last, things were looking up. God knows, it could have been worse. -
Review from Sweetp G.
Tacoma, WA
5/19/2012
Just needed a couple key copies - still expected to wait at least 10 minutes from my experiences at other place. But he literally made the keys as he rung it up on the cash register - boom, done. Love it.
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Review from ID T.
Seattle, WA
5/9/2012
It's not that they could set up an appointment for this afternoon, or that the guy really did call when he was on his way and it really was when they said it might be. No, it's that he fixed the lock. Not replaced or rekeyed, but fixed it. My hundred year old door locks will go on! And at a time where frankly, we can't afford to begin the conversation about replacement....
Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. -
Review from Jen O.
Seattle, WA
1/8/2012
Fast arrival, quick service got me into my car w/i 8minutes of my call.
Didn't make fun of me when he saw the car was running, which was nice.
The price was a little steep and I didn't get a reciept.... which means insurance won't cover it.... d'oh. Guess that's a lesson.... DON'T LOCK YOUR KEYS IN THE CAR WHILE IT'S RUNNING DUMBASS. :)Comment from robert s. of Ballard Lock & Key 1/10/2012
Jen, People lock themselves out everyday, you're not a… More » -
Review from Andrew R.
Seattle, WA
12/27/2011
These guys are the best! Bob came to help me with a lock-out after hours.
There are a lot of lockpick businesses that will screw you over, I'm grateful for Ballard Lock & Key for being honest, flexible and fast! -
Review from sunny d.
Seattle, WA
2/18/2012
There are three ways for mobile locksmith businesses to make money.
1) Make their money through contracts and deals with Condo Management firms, 1800-locksmith numbers etc and 'lock-in' unsuspecting boards, homeowners and renters through 'preferred pricing' (basically, you dont have an option)
2) Flood Search enginer, listings etc with search engine optimized pages and/or sponsored Ads. Usually this is the domain of nationwide scamster locksmith agencies that subcontract the work and take advantage of your situation.
3) Do a good job, are honest and competent and base their business on trust and local referrals.
I'm glad to say, as a homeowner and President of a Condominium Association, that these guys belong to the last group.
I called them 2 years ago when I was locked out of my Unit. It was late, they came quickly and let me in/changed my locks and their rates were 1/3rd of the other emergency locksmiths. Most people find those numbers from their phone while in a rush as they are locked out and are basically fleeced.
Last night we had an attempted break-in the building. The 'lock guard' was pried open. The Condo Management firm for our building asked me if they should send a locksmith. When I asked how much they would cost, I was told 150 just to come out plus 150 per hour labor and additional costs for parts. They insisted that it was their 'preferred' vendor and this was the best rate possible as it was the weekend. A lot of the vendors also charge you for a full hour if it's more than 30 mins into the clock.
What did I do?
I called Ballard Lock and Key. Although their schedule was booked, they fitted me in within 2 hours. They asked me to send a photo of the damage, and informed me that it was 68 or so bucks to come over, something similar per hour for labor (which ended up only beingy 30 mins). All in, with parts it set us back 150 instead of the 500 the management firm said it would cost. Polite and fast as well.
I exposed the management firm for their incompetence right in front of all the home owners. These guys are a must have in your phone book IMHO! -
Review from David M.
Tallahassee, FL
7/17/2011
It was years ago that I had an excellent experience with Ballard Lock & Key, and I'm asking Yelp readers to appreciate that then as now the company was supplying excellent service. Yelp consumers can help out a solid place that, according to a July New York Times article, is under other kinds of cyberattack related to the kinds that have been employed to benefit sleazy 'locksmiths' nationwide in phony yelp reviews (see almost any city's Talk threads, searching 'locksmiths').
In my case, I needed to help a relative who I was visiting get into her car (it was my fault that she was locked out I admit). Ballard Lock & Key responded promptly at a fair price. They are, from my admittedly one-off experience, a real community resource which can seriously benefit individual customers and Seattle as a whole. -
Review from Margaret L.
Seattle, WA
9/19/2011
I am over the moon. Well, if the moon were up at noon.
I have needed to get my locks replaced. They'd not been replaced since sometime in the Dark Ages.
I first called a different (closer) locksmith, but they were really busy...so, on a whim, I called these guys. One five minute conversation later and someone was on his way! I got a new lock installed and three cylinders rekeyed for masssssssively under what I was expecting to pay. The guy even taught me how to use the lock (yes, I know I could RTFM, but nothing beats show and tell).
Anyway, thanks Bob!!!! -
Review from Teresa C.
Seattle, WA
12/28/2011
Christina answered the phone and she was very helpful and understood exactly what I needed. Eric is the locksmith who came to do the project and was on time, very friendly and professional and did a great, quick job. I was very happy with their service and will DEFINITELY use them in the future, and would recommend them to anyone!
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Review from Molly G.
Seattle, WA
2/16/2011
In my rush to cook dinner before picking my girlfriend up from the airport, I had the burners on high, the radio on loud, and I stepped out quickly to empty the compost. As soon as I pulled the door shut, I realized I had locked myself out. On a Sunday night. In the rain. Did I mention the stove was on?
After frantic calls to my landlord went unanswered, and my neighbors lent me a cell phone and a phonebook, Bob and his wife (the owners) got to my house from Queen Anne in ten minutes, had me inside in five, and even spared my high-security (and high-cost) lock from being cut. Because he nicked the lock cylinder while cutting open my doorknob, Bob took it back to the shop, repaired it, and reinstalled it in a new doorknob a day later, all for the original quote for the lock-out!
Wonderful people, wonderful service, can't recommend them highly enough! -
Review from Ryan D.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 3/5/2011
Another great experience with Ballard Lock & Key.
After our last experience, BLK was our first call when we wanted to replace all the locks in our house.
They provided a clear estimate up-front that detailed all the costs, including labor. They scheduled their visit just a couple of days after our first call.
They took extra care to make sure that the locks were installed perfectly, that all the doors opened and closed properly (i.e. better than when they started), and that they left the work areas cleaner than they found them.
Great local business run by an honest, knowledgeable professional.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/3/2010
Ballard Lock & Key is an outstanding operation that hearkens back to an old way of doing business.
… Read more »
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Review from Jarrett B.
Seattle, WA
12/19/2011
I literally just got helped by these heroes. I live in Ballard and got locked out taking out the trash, after a while of searching (thank baby jesus i had my iphone) I gave them a call. I searched Ballard and 206 numbers out of instinct, figured they would be close and I wouldn't have to wait longer than 30 minutes in the cold. Surprise surprise, they came in pretty much after hanging up, picked my lock and gave me a low flat rate. I really don't have much experience with locksmiths, but I'm really glad to have lucked out with these guys the first time, and they even warned me of search scammers in the area. I don't plan on getting locked out again, but if I do, definitely will call these guys.
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Review from Mud B.
Seattle, WA
12/24/2011
One of the locksmiths from Ballard Lock & Key recently showed up exactly on time and fixed my front door lock in less than five minutes and didn't charge me an arm or a leg either. He and the staff who run the office are friendly, reliable and easy to work with. I highly recommend this company if you need help with a lock.
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Review from Aaron C.
Seattle, WA
7/20/2011
Problem solved, figures that Bob was out of town for about a week and he fixed the problem .
Got new working door keys for my 1967 Bel-Air and on top of that my trunk lock got installed as well.
Thanks for fixing the problem guys. -
Review from Nikki D.
Seattle, WA
11/22/2010
Super friendly folks working here, and no waiting in line since there were 2 or 3 people working when I went to have a key copy made. One fine gentleman made my little copy, while the others were busy helping customers with some big projects. They seem to do everything here.
Though you could venture into a giganto chain store next time you wanna cross the "key to my place" threshold with your sweetie, why not support your local-folkal, get out in under 2 minutes, and feel warm and fuzzy inside? I am proud to have this little shop in my neighborhood! -
Review from Dave P.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 12/1/2010
As an update, I just called Ballard Lock & key with an emergency job and they were quick to help me out immediately. Eric the technician called to explain what the problem was and offered several solutions and pricing options so I could decide which way to go. This is in my opinion the level of customer service everyone should strive for.
Great job!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/23/2010
Ive used Ballard Lock on many occassions over the years and they always do a great job! They have… Read more »
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Review from Doug C.
3/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
THESE GUYS KEYED MY HOUSE!
Well, at least they changed the locks.
After buying a new house, I sought out a locksmith to change the locks and stumbled across Ballard Lock and Key. They answered the phone on a weekend evening and even offered to come out and change them that night. I appreciated the offer of instantaneous service, but told them the next morning would be fine.
The locksmith was friendly, professional and finished everything in a timely manner. They accept both checks and credit cards and gave me a bundle of new keys at the end.
Key (*cough*) points:
- There is a basic service charge for coming out.
- They charge $25/door for changing the locks.
- 24 hour lockout service.Listed in: Ballard Living
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Review from Betsey S.
4/30/2009
Rekeying my doors (why I had to do this in the first place is another review altogether) turned out to be the easiest thing I did today! Ballard Lock and Key came over about a half hour after I called them and efficiently created one master key for the whole house (now there's a novel idea!)
The locksmith was friendly, intelligent, and also gave me some good advice about scratching the numbers off the backs of my keys, since those numbers represent the keying code. If someone knows the number, they can have a copy of the key made.
It cost about 75% of what I expected! Like everyone else has said, highly recommended.Listed in: Home Ownership Both Rules and…
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Review from Gwen C.
9/2/2009
I locked myself out of my car not too long ago and was between AAA memberships as they hadn't auto-renewed like they were meant to.
I don't live that close to Ballard. Two shops needed "3 to 5 hours." Ballard Lock and Key needed "20 minutes...30 if the traffic's bad." I didn't have a mess of cash, but i think everyone who's dealt with Bob knows he charges rock bottom rates. I was in the car again in minutes, without damage or complaint.
They also are the place to go for key copies as they're much more reliable than Big Chain Stores. Bulger's also great for this but Ballard Lock and Key has better hours and they're a little cheaper. -
Review from joel b.
Seattle, WA
8/10/2010
Sunday morning lockout. My wife had been a little groggy and left her keys inside since we had been getting up between 5:30 - 7AM the past couple days babysitting my niece.
Bob picked up the phone around 10:30AM (note, my landlord did not) and handled it like a pro. We met about an hour later at my place, I swear that door was opened in 15 seconds flat after a handshake.
He had his van with him, so I'm sure he could have taken care of most situations.
I can safely recommend BL&K to anyone. -
Review from Deb K.
WA
7/28/2011
How can you beat making a phone call at 2:30pm and by 4pm that same day, you have 5 locks re-keyed and an old, corroded doorknob replaced for half of what you expected to pay? I didn't even have to be there when they did it! Good, fast, inexpensive and painless--that will earn any business a 5-star review in my book! Thanks Chris & Ballard Lock & Key!
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Review from Kaoru W.
Seattle, WA
3/20/2010
I didn't even think about this place for 2 yrs until I came across it on Yelp today, but I have to write about my experience with them.
My husband and I just had a bad experience with a certain maga chain store. The keys they made for us did not fit the lock! We went back there and they made us another set. Well, they didn't work either! So we gave up, and I remembered seeing the sign for Ballard Lock & Key on 15th Ave and went there right away. We go inside, and the owner was working on the ceiling light or something like that, and made us wonder if they were even open. He didn't say anything though. So we asked him if he could make keys for us. He and his wife (I assume) were very nice, he made 2 copies for us, and told us that THEY WERE FREE. We said "What? Really? Are you sure?" and the guys said "We are not officially open yet".
Let me get this straight. They welcomed us in even though they weren't open yet, then pleasantly made copies of our key, free of charge. They just told us to spread good word about their store. If this is not good customer service, I don't know what is! And, needless to say, the keys they made for us fit perfectly. -
Review from Dave G.
Chico, CA
1/19/2012
After doing business with Bob at Ballard Lock & Key I would definitely recommend them to anyone needing lock service. Bob is detail oriented, and reliable, plus the prices are fair.
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Review from Teman C.
Kirkland, WA
6/26/2009
I got the key for my new place tonight, but I put it in the bad handle. Only house key = stuck.
The first place I called never got back to me, but this dispatcher told me a price and a time.
It was not as cheap as I would wish, but the locksmith showed up on time and popped the bad lock core out right away and extracted the key.
I'd call them again - not bozos. -
Review from Jody R.
Seattle, WA
10/27/2010
Friendly, fast service and none of those multi-hour windows other companies might make you sit around and wait for. I called at 1:30pm and Eric was at my house to replace the lock in my mailbox at 3:00pm (though I got the feeling I could have had him there immediately if I asked).
I highly recommend these guys! -
Review from Joe B.
10/27/2009
Never thought I would need the services of a locksmith but yesterday I needed one to open my back door (long boring story). I called Ballard Lock & Key (thanks Yelpers!) and within 15 minutes I had someone at my home and 30 seconds later (scary when you think about it) I was in my home.
Cost? $60. One of those situations where it isn't how long it takes as much as it is how much you know. Thanks guys! -
Review from Richard H.
Seattle, WA
6/28/2011
Ballard Lock & Key was called out to work on a couple malfunctioning locks in our 80-year-old house on Queen Anne. They showed up with everything necessary to do the job (which is so much better than when a service company has to make multiple trips simply because they don't have parts and tools in a service vehicle). The work was done with expertise and professionalism.
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Review from Wendy A.
Seattle, WA
6/28/2011
It was bound to happen. The minute I shut the door I realized my key were safely lock inside. Of course it was after hours and no one in my building could help me. I called 3 other locksmiths and not one of them answered but Ballard Lock and Key did. So, of course, they got my business.
First guy was out here within 40 minutes only because he had a dead battery in his truck, but he came anyway. When he couldn't pick the lock he called Eric.
Eric was here in no time and when he couldn't pick the lock(stupid unpickable lock) he drilled it out and rekeyed it and was no nice and understanding about my stress the whole time.
Eric was great.
Thanks BLK for letting me in and not gouging me on the price. -
Review from Grisha S.
Seattle, WA
1/12/2009
At my business, the key was having trouble turning in our industrial lock, so I called Ballard Lock and Key. They sent out two guys to look into the problem and quickly realized that the lock was actually ok, but the door was being shut too hard, so that was causing the mechanism to stick.
They didn't charge me at all, even though they knew I would have been gullible enough to buy a new lock if they'd said I needed one. I've used them before and will do so again!
Quick, reliable service. -
Review from K B.
Seattle, WA
10/21/2009
We locked ourselves out. First thing in the morning on a Saturday. In our jammies. In the rain. The neighbor we'd given a spare key somehow lost it. The first locksmith we called (blindly) came from Kenmore, got lost and took well over an hour to arrive, and he couldn't get in. He tried for 10 seconds and then told us he should call someone with more lock-picking experience (he was over 70) and then he said he'd need to drill it out for almost $300. We decided to ask him to leave and called another locksmith.
This time we got it right. We called Ballard Lock and Key and told them the situation. They sent a locksmith who arrived in 20 minutes and it took him all of 30 seconds to get into our home.
Ballard Lock and Key will be our locksmith from now on, and we've given their info to all our neighbors (as well as extra keys, because standing in the rain for hours on a Saturday morning isn't my idea of a good time.) -
Review from slackerina p.
Seattle, WA
12/16/2009
Very prompt. Gave me a discount for paying cash. Open late evening. I was hanging at a friend's house that happened to be on the way...and he even gave me a ride in the locksmith van!
And now I don't have to sleep at my friends' and go to work in my dirty clothes tomorrow.
Thank you thank you thank you! -
Review from Tammy W.
9/28/2010
On two occasions I have needed Ballard Lock and Key - once to get into my house when I locked myself out, and another time to key a lock on my vintage trailer when it arrived with no keys. They delivered very prompt and professional service on both occasions. When they keyed the trailer I wasn't at home and they just left an invoice in my mailbox; now that's good (and trusting!) service!
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Review from Kathleen H.
Seattle, WA
12/16/2010
Quick, professional and friendly... the magical combination of locksmith qualities! I called to have someone come out to change a few locks and make some keys. They sent someone on the day I requested, at the time I suggested. He was on time and got the job done quite efficiently. It's not every day that you need a locksmith but if you are going to have someone do this type of job, get it done right!
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Review from Elizabeth R.
Seattle, WA
11/7/2011
Absolutely brilliant service. Eric was here within 30 minutes, and opened my locked storage unit, rekeyed it and finished in less than an hour. For a non-emergency need that has been waiting for more than a year to fix, this was so easy - I don't know why I put it off for so long. Thank you Eric!
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Review from Travis B.
Seattle, WA
9/25/2010
Awesome, trustworthy company. We called at 7:30am, he arrived by 8 and was cheerful, skilled and got us into our apartment within 5 minutes. Best of all, he was super reasonable in price and very professional. Would definitely recommend to friends and family who have been locked out!!!
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Review from Julian B.
Seattle, WA
12/25/2009
I got locked out of my apartment at 3:35AM with my dog on Christmas Day (today). I was able to crash at a friend's place for a few hours during the night but still had no way back in. I called a few locksmiths and they all wanted to charge me an arm and a leg. Bob from Ballard Lock & Key actually called me back and offered to swing by and unlock me at no charge since it was Christmas! I can't praise this guy enough. He was responsive, quick and wouldn't even accept the little cash that I did have in my wallet. This is what customer service should be like. If I ever need the service of a locksmith in the future, I will be turning to Ballard Lock & Key. You should too. Thanks again, Bob!
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Review from D C.
Seattle, WA
11/12/2008
Just moved into our new home and needed to change the locks....and wanted to add a deadbolt for extra safety. We called Ballard Lock and Key after reading reviews and they said they could come out whenever we needed...even the same day!
We ended up getting all the doors rekeyed and 2 deadbolts put in for a fair price in a couple hours. The work was done quickly and efficiently and now we have all the locks we could ever need.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Kimberly Q.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2007
I've used this company twice in a pinch, and they have been responsive, courteous and fairly priced. In fact, I just called them today to rekey some locks for my rental house in Queen Anne and had a good chat with the owner, Bob. Highly recommended.
