Yelp One Star Rating Scam
Editor:
Thanks for your editorials on the topics that are destroying locksmith businesses nationwide. I have been working to stop the nationwide locksmith scam for well over 5 years, on my own.
In Seattle on Google, dozens of fake locksmith listings “$14 $15 $29 Locksmith” are posted for every suburb and every city name.
The latest scam is that the scammers are moving their negative reviews to my business listings on Yelp, which Yelp loves to use as a One Star Yelp promotion, an attention-grabber to drive traffic to the Yelp .com website. Every listing in my area (Seattle’s east side) is a fake business which is part of the nationwide "scam" except for mine, which is the original and only Redmond Locksmith - 425-881-7777 (shown twice) and is rated "One Star" by Yelp. My business has never had a complaint, public or otherwise.
My question is: How many locksmiths nationwide are suffering the same problem as myself, with a false, libelous review and One star Yelp rating next to their business name on Yelp and on Google.
I have also filed a lawsuit against Yelp in U.S. District Court to stop this Yelp practice, Kimzey v. Yelp Inc.
Douglas Kinzey
Redmond Locksmith
Seattle
USPO Boxes
Editor:
Do you have key codes for the old Yale post office boxes? The keys are reverse of the old Yale Y1 blanks, still in uje after a century or more, I believe. Have been trying to find this; must be around somewhere.
BTW, I'm a specialty locksmith, mainly IC systems, but do not deal with the general public.
J E Schmidt
Editor’s Reply: This is a special keyway made only for P.O. boxes in post offices. I believe any code numbers on the keys only refer to that particular location. Many years ago the government requested key blank manufacturers to stop making this blank. Servicing locks or duplicating keys for USPO boxes at post offices is not recommended. The government cannot guarantee the security of their mail if additional unknown keys have been duplicated.
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