I haven't locked myself out of my house or car for many years...but the inevitable happened and I left my car keys inside my locked car. What to do? I saw that Locksmith Central had two locations and two vans that offer 24/7 emergency service. It sounded reputable so I made the call and I'm glad I did. The van arrived exactly when Michael Young said it would and the locksmith and his assistant were extremely courteous and professional the entire time. They called to let me know that they were on the way, and then again when they arrived. They checked to make sure that I owned the car (license, registration), oiled my locks, made a spare key for me in their van, and warned me about mobile locksmiths who go around ripping off and aren't legitimate bonded locksmiths. I definitely know who to call the next time this happens. It was $95 for the lock out service and all the advice was free. Luckily I read the Yelp reviews. Remember, you should ask a locksmith if he's bonded and inspect his/her ID and bond card when he arrives. read more

CONTACT INFORMATION 2855 Judah Street (@ 34th Ave.) San Francisco, CA 94122 (415) 665-5398 www.SFLocksmith.net NARRATIVE Friday morning began with a bang. I am housesitting in Nob Hill with it's arbitrary parking laws and had to move my car, lest it be towed away at 7 am. I moved it at 6:30 and went up to shower. I had a class to attend at 7:30 in the morning. I showered, got lunch together, walked out of the apartment in a rush...then a sickly click. I rummaged through my pockets. Augh! I left the keys in the bowl in the hallway...and would now require a locksmith... PRICE RANGE Moderate - Decadent SUMMARY I hoofed it to BART to make it to the class. My students' films were pretty incredible. Excellent times, but then I asked a coworker for a ride back to Nob Hill so I could get the keys and move my car again so as not to get a parking ticket. The building security suggested one company. I called and their docket was full for the morning, but they recommended Locksmith Central. Mr. Michael Young answered the phone, inquired about the situation, quoted a flat price that was $20 less than the company that referred him, and promised to arrive within the hour. I passed the time by finishing some curriculum work, participating in a mini-conference call, and reflecting on my hectic week in Nob Hill...my car was broken into, my rushing in the morning to move my car on time...and realizing how I still haven't mastered the skill of city living. SERVICE Mr. Young was prompt, and pleasant. I greeted him. I brought him to the security office. They showed him the authorization letter my friends had written to authorize my housesit. We took the elevator to the apartment and he worked his magic. In less than 10 minutes the door was open. The keys were in the bowl by the hallway and we were on our way. RESTROOMS Not Applicable SUGGESTION Mr. Young, you were fantastic! Thank you for your help and, as promised, I have yelped you. For those of you finding yourself in an awkward situation requiring a locksmith in San Francisco, I recommend Locksmith Central. read more

The owner is an asshole who takes advantage of other people. I had a lock-in service for my 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer and the guy charged me $189.00. As a matter of fact, this is the second time I accidently locked my Lancer. The first time I had a lock-in service was at a town, about 25 miles off San Francisco with a company called Jack Rabbit and I only paid $55.00. For services like car locksmith, the location should not be the reasons to jack up the price. Both companies were punctual and none of them damaged my car doors. read more

I was running late for an appointment so I slammed my door shut before realizing that I had locked it from the inside...along with my keys! Now, I could have walked to the corner store, got some change, went to my appointment, and went shopping somewhere until the Boyfriend was done with work. But in that moment, I panicked and called the closest/best locksmith I could find. A husband & wife team showed up in about 5 minutes & they were able to unlock my door without any damage in 30 seconds. Although I was glad to get my keys back, I was down $120. I would definitely call if I get locked out of my place again...but only if (1) everyone I know is more than 3 hours away, (2) I don't have my wallet with me, and/or (3) it were pouring rain & freezing cold. read more

My purse (keys, wallet, phone -- everything) was stolen in GG Park, so I had to change our condo and garage locks immediately. I called Michael on a Sunday and he was at our house within 2 hrs. 3 reasons he is a Rockstar Locksmith: Prompt -- when I called him to book the job, he asked me a number of questions about the situation and gave me an estimated time of arrival. He called me just as he arrived and was 30 min early. Efficient -- He and Kelly work seemlessly as a team to get the job done as efficiently as possible. While Michael was finishing the job, Kelly was making duplicate keys and writing a receipt. Consultative -- advised me that if i received a call from someone saying they had my purse, NOT to meet them away from the house. Apparently, some thieves will set a meeting and while you are away, they will rob your house. Professional -- Provided a detailed receipt for services. I had to obtain a duplicate for an insurance claim, and his team was able to provide it. In short, Locksmith Central is exactly what you need in a locksmith. He evaluated our current locks and noted some possible improvements, but never pressured me at all. His quality of work is exemplary. He was intent on making sure all was working flawlessly before he left. I trust Michael Young and highly recommend him. read more

I was locked out of my Fiance's car with the keys in the engine running. The customer I was dropping a job off for recommended Michael at Locksmith Central. From the first moment I heard the "click" of the door shut I was worried about being ripped off (Over priced $300.00) and having some hack damage the car trying to get in. Michael was out to my car in less than a half hour, and the car was open in less than a minute. He is a professional and knew exactly what to do. The car was handled with extreme care and the charge was only $95.00. Everyone should have this guys business card in your wallet or phone # on your key chain! read more

My grandmother locked herself out of her room, along with the keys inside. This is the first time I've ever had to call a locksmith, so I'm fairly new to this. The lady on the phone was courteous and told me that it was $145 for lockouts and the fee would be charged regardless of cancelation. The locksmith came within 15 minutes and was able to open the door within 2 minutes. He informed me that my lock was upside down, which could be fairly easy or difficult depending. He also said that other competing locksmith companies would charge $300-500 on an upside down lock, so I'm extremely grateful for that. As I was walking him out the door, he also inspected multiple doorknobs on the way out. Overall, they're super friendly and helpful to say the least. Definitely recommend! read more

What a superstar company this is! In the worst possible crisis yesterday, Michael & Kelly responded even before SFPD did. They worked diligently (nonstop until 11:30 pm) installing the most secure locks commercially available. And yes, thankfully they do honor credit cards. Extremely professional, courteous, prompt, discreet, knowledgeable and compassionate, Central Locksmith is the best. My top recommendation. read more

They were terrific. Courteous, informative and speedy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

My son left his car at Daly City BART and lost his keys. We did not have another set of keys. I had arranged with another locksmith to unlock the car and provide a new set of keys, but he never showed up. I called Central Locksmith and they arrived in less than an hour and had the car unlocked with new keys in less than 20 minutes. They were extremely good and extremely professional. A lot of locksmiths do not do this sort of work. Central Locksmith is very good at it. read more

The story: Was sO happy to get home after a delicious Peruvian dinner out. Parked my car into the garage, walked into my building, took the elevator, got to my door and then...bam! My heart sinks suddenly realizing that my door key is INSIDE my apartment. "Aargh! I took it off my key ring to go running at golden gate park with my puppy earlier today!" The outcome: Mr. Michael Young was at my building in less than 20 minutes. Excellent service, gave great advice (I will always lock my dead-bolt from now on!) and I cannot be more grateful. After-hours flat rate on a Saturday night? $165. Dinner tab? $ 110. Getting back into my place in practically no time flat? Priceless. Thank you Mr. Young! The bottom line: 5 dazzling stars. Professional, friendly, courteous, knowledgeable, efficient. Highly recommend Central Locksmith without reservation (sorry, couldn't resist)! read more

Recently around 10 pm we arrived home to find ourselves locked out so started calling locksmiths. Michael of Locksmith Central was the only one to answer our call -- so thanks for that. But the price quoted, $160, seemed like getting taken advantage, so we continued calling more businesses but no one else answered late at night, so what could we do? Locksmith Central came out pretty quickly, and took about 5 minutes to figure out our situation. $160 for 5 minutes hurts and I definitely wanted a little more for my money, so I asked if they would re-key our front door lock but was told "No, not tonight." Well at least they could have offered a discount for future service or something like that -- I mean $160 for such a short amount of time?!? And we live about 20 blocks from their office address, so the travel time had to have been minimal. In the end I wasn't that impressed. We should have stayed a night at a hotel and called around the next day during business hours: In that scenario we probably would've still spent about $160 total for the lockout and hotel room, but we would also have experienced a different sort of getting f*cked feeling... read more

Key got stuck in the lock while I was leaving the apartment building. The first locksmith company I called was too busy to come so I called Locksmith Central. Michael Young, the owner of Locksmith Central, came and rescued me -- wasting no time. He knows his stuff, friendly and I got the best service. Kudos to Michael and his assistance at Locksmith Central -- the others don't compare. read more

Michael is a very responsive and knowledgeable locksmith. He was able to replace the cylinder in my older Mercedes ignition lock while it was still legally parked, avoiding having to tow it to the other side of the street, or to another locksmith or a repair facility. When I called he explained what was involved, how much it would cost, and agreed to come by that day. Once I made the appointment, his assistant called to keep me informed of when he would arrive. He had the parts and the know-how to get into the ignition, kept me informed during the process of fixing it, and compared to any other locksmith or mechanic, saved me a bundle of money and lots of time and trouble. Highly recommended. read more

I have used Michael for almost 10 years now and have always been impressed by the knowledge and professionalism. One time I was locked out and called another locksmith that was outright shady. The shady locksmith drilled out my existing lock and basically extorted me for an exorbitant fee. The workmanship was so bad that I actually had to call Michael to replace the lock. Since that experience I have kept Central Locksmith number on speed dial. read more

I think this is a great locksmith. Mike came out, spent 15 minutes trying to see what the problem was, and gave me a fair estimate. He did the work in the evening , too! And he had quality locks to choose from. I had a bid from metrolocksmith and they were not nice at all and they charged too much. this i a good place. read more