went to one of those keyme machines in 7-11. one key was deemed "regular" and the other "less common". comparison of keyme vs mass ave lock for two keys total: $25 vs. $11 keyme: regular instant pickup, less common shipping, mass ave lock: both instant pickup read more

They copied 4 mailbox keys for me, and twice I had to come back to get them to work. Finally, I had my contractor change all the locks because I didn't want to keep coming back to test and see if this time they got it right. Now, the 3 or 4 keys cost about $11, but the office manager didn't want to refund the money because I came back after 2 weeks. I explained that my busy schedule didn't allow me to keep coming back, so it took me some time. I have been using Mass Ave Lock since 2001, but with the new management, she said that she didn't care, all over $11. I had just spent $243 with them that very day. While I was in the store, I noticed that I was treated less friendly than with other customers. I started wondering why this was the case. I began to think I was being treated unequally, which made me reconsider going to them in the future. The manager insinuated that I would misrepresent the facts all over $11. Please. She challenged my credability of this small amount PLEASE! read more

Small shop right in the center of back bay. I called to confirm opened til 4pm Monday cuz the picture on google suggested otherwise. I was greeted kindly and got my key copied in 5mins. They charge credit card fees so bring cash! read more

I was informed by an employee who supervises a building in which a locksmith visited that, after misunderstanding Mass Ave Lock's receptionist days prior about providing an invoice via email to forward to the management company, the locksmith that arrived said he wasn't leaving until he "was paid." When the employee informed the locksmith about what he believed was the payment agreement via Mass Ave Lock's receptionist, the locksmith began to condescendingly discuss to the employee at the property 'how stores work' and the basics of cash exchange, as though he was a child or unintelligent, rather than clarifying the issue. I provided Two Stars because, in fairness, another Locksmith arrived last year and did a great job alongside being communicative. However, One Star would have sufficed if this were the property's first encounter with this company given that their customer service was incredibly disappointing and lacked basic business communication etiquette. The property will move forward with another locksmith business after this incident. read more

Matthew picked up the phone so incredibly quickly, helped with our key situation asap, charged such a reasonable price (~ 7.50 for one copy) and gave clear instructions for the shop itself and the orange T stop nearby. He was such a welcoming and responsible man, and I will 1,000% be recommending this place to anyone who has hardware or lock related issues. read more

Love small business keysmiths!! This one is great. Please BRING CASH unless you plan on having a lot of keys done ($15 minimum for card purchase). Location is very convenient: Prudential Center area but slightly hidden (off one of the residential streets). You walk in and you are surrounded by keys, keys, and keys! The people who work there clearly know what they are doing and they are super friendly! While I was waiting for my keys I got to see the owners interact with some of their regulars: first name basis, many smiles, many thanks, all goodness. FYI they are also locksmiths. Seems like other yelpers had a great experience with that issue so definitely refer to other reviews for more info. I only needed 4 standard copies = $6 + tax. I also got 4 of those little colored key covers to tell them apart (25 cents each). He washed the keys and loaded them on a keyring for me! Took the keys for a test run and they work! Hurrrah! read more

Mass Ave Lock - 4 copies I got. Also got the 4 color key covers. He was nice enough to put them on the key ring! - Keys & Locksmiths Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

After unsuccessfully trying to copy my mail key at two different locations, I am so grateful to mass Ave lock for being able to copy the key - and for a super reasonable price too! I was attended quickly, the keys were made right in front of me, and I was in and out in less than 5 minutes. The keys worked perfectly from the first time I used them, which is impressive since I've had only dud key copies from the other two places I tried (apparently this key is difficult to copy). Will be back for any additional key/lock needs! read more

Outstanding! Professional, speedy and reasonable. $1.50 per key copy. Needed an extra set of keys for visitors, was out in 2 minutes. Owner even gave me an extra copy of another key that wasn't cut right (done elsewhere). Very easy to find - 125 St. Botolph, located on a quiet residential block near Mass Ave/Orange line and Symphony/Green line. Emergency hotline also available for lockouts/rekeying. Highly recommend. read more

I have tried them all but Mass. Ave. Lock on St. Botolph Street is the best. The owner Mike really knows his stuff, it has been a family business for years and years. I manage quite a few buildings and always use Mass Ave. Lock. read more

Rekeyed 5 locks for me, they know their business and are fast and professional. Would definitely come here for anything lock related!

Great place to do business in Back Bay / South End. Professional and courteous. $10 credit card min. read more

We've been relying on Mass Ave Locksmith for decades. They're a neighborhood institution. What do we like about them? Though they are only open Monday to Friday, they do emergency calls. They will go to your building as needed. They stand behind their product. Most keys that we've ordered from them have worked well. In the rare times that a key hasn't, they replace the defective key. They work quickly and efficiently and stamp the keys with a letter or number so you can keep track of which keys are used for the front door of the building, for the unit, for the garden, etc. They're gracious and helpful to everyone. They're patient even if you have many sets of keys and many requests. read more

Great gem in the heart of the south end, very knowledgable, friendly and helpful staff. From the basics to more complex needs, I have been there a few times and will go back read more

Ran over to this store while the Comcast guy was working on setting up our internet. Had 2 sets of keys made within 5 minutes (probably closer to 2!), no wait, returned before the cable guy even noticed I was gone. I believe it was $2/key. They also gave a basic key ring for each set. Super convenient and expedient. read more

Did the job. Had a high-security key that I needed copying and came here on Friday morning, circa 8:30am. Already open, which was a relief since I needed to get in and out pretty quickly. The guy who cut my key moved none too fast, but the entire experience took about 5-10 minutes, so no complaints. A couple cons: 1. Tried to figure out the hours they were open by calling them and there was no answering service that mentioned their hours. Difficult, since they also don't have a website. As far as I can tell, Yelp's hours are correct. 2. Ask the price before you get anything made. It's entirely possible that high-security keys cost $14 to cut typically, but boy was I surprised. Rude awakening, but the guy had already cut my key, so I ponied up the money. read more

We went with two other locksmiths before coming to Mass Ave lock. None of them could make keys that work, but these guys did on the first try! Great price too. read more

They were extremely professional - changed our locks fast and were really kind and well priced.

Seem good people. I didn't have cash and minimum was $15 to charge my card which was inconvenient. I had to go around to find an ATM and wasted too much time. Although it was my fault not to have cash, come on, what kind of business. I told him that he could charge my card for $15, I didn't mind, but he refused. My rating is mostly because the inconvenience. read more

I locked myself out of my apartment during a winter storm. The guy I spoke to on the phone when I made my initial call was very honest and said that it would probably take him an hour to get to me. He said he would try his best to come ASAP but did not want to make promises due to the bad weather. He came roughly about an hour later and let me into my apartment. He asked to see proof of address which I thought was a very good thing to do. It was however $120 to let me back in, but it seems that's the regular price in Boston. read more

This place is so good. They are really really fast. You can get your key within 1 min and it only cost 1.59! Cheap and fast!

This is where I take my clients locks to every time. Excellent is the word!

Don't go to Home Depot! 100% recommend these guys, fast and easy, the key worked on the first try. Also way cheaper than those horrible kiosk machines. Don't be put off the slightly sketch exterior, these guys are pros. read more

These guys are the best! When I called to get some emergency service, they were in touch with me right away, came very quickly, we're very professional and friendly. Thanks so much! read more

I do love this place because I never had to bring my keys back trust me when I tell you stick with the old hardware stores.

Competent, timely, fairly priced, and honest. Have done lock repairs, deadbolt installations, and re-key work with Mass Ave Lock. All done professionally and carefully. Previous reviewers talked about the timeliness for appointments. Recently I was given a specific time (2 PM), and the installer arrived ten minutes early. In the second case I was given a window (2 - 3 PM), and the installer arrived close to 3. Both acceptable in my view. read more

Buddy and Mike are great guys to deal with. They always come right away and get the job done. Our company has been using Mass Ave Lock for years. Everything you could want in a locksmith. read more

Tried to over charge me to replace a door knob. $270. I'm still shaking my head.

I originally wrote a negative review of these guys because it took a long time to get a quote from them; but that was unfair, because they were waiting for information from a third party. Since then, they have given me great service. Mike met me at the apartment and was right on time both times. He did excellent work, was friendly and knowledgable, and charged me exactly the price on the estimate. I would definitely use them again, and recommend them highly. read more

Just needed a key copy. Done in a minute for 1.59$. Nice people, too. We will definitely come back whenever we need another key,

Easy in, and easy out! Came here to fix a safe, and the locksmith was able to help me out under 5 minutes! After calling around for quotes, Mass Ave was by far the most reasonably priced service. I will come here again for any locksmith needs! read more

Really great service. Super fast and punctual. Got there 5 minutes early on a random day, and exactly at opening time, they opened their doors and I had my two keys copied in a matter of 2 minutes. Originally went to Ace hardware, where they messed up both keys. Ended up going here and getting perfect copies for half the price of ace hardware. Can't recommend this place enough read more

These guys are great. So great that I'm writing a yelp review for the first time. I've called them twice now - once to re-key my locks a few months ago and then just this morning to help me get back in after locking myself out. In my experience, they are honest, fair (I checked with other companies) and extremely competent. Sometimes it's difficult to give an accurate time frame in the locksmith business - keep that in mind, ask them for an honest assessment on arrival time, and then sit tight because once they show up everything else is as good as it gets. This morning they showed up within 15 minutes of me calling, just like they said would. When the first guy couldn't pick the lock, one of the owners showed up to make sure they tried everything possible before resorting to drilling (because then I would need a new lock!). They even offered to let me sit in the van to warm up while they worked on my door. Between both guys, it took nearly an hour to do what we thought might be a 15 minute job, but they got it done. AND I didn't have to end up getting a new lock, and they didn't charge me extra for the time. I highly recommend these guys (and so do my neighbors, which is how I found them) and have even programmed their number into my cell phone so that I can call them right away if I or anyone around me needs a locksmith. read more

Awesome. Actually, I previously went to a store in Chinatown to get a copy of my key, but it totally broke. After that I went to Mass Ave Lock, the man just measured my key for a second, then return a copy in 10 second. And it works very well. read more

Went around 4pm to get some keys copied and the service was excellent! This place was faster and cheaper than any big name hardware store! I would definitely come back here if I needed any more keys or locks. They also have a great selection or locks and door protection equipment. read more

Frequent customer and very satisfied. The keys always work and everything I have needed is available. My only complaint is with the younger man who makes keys in front. He is frequently rude and he smells very bad. You notice it as soon as you open the door to the business. read more

The lock on my door leading into my condo broke. The co-owner (I believe his name was Bubba...but I could be wrong) was on site within one hour on a Saturday night. He was extremely helpful and very nice. This was my first time using a locksmith in Boston. I would absolutely use Mass Ave Lock again if needed. Thank you for the excellent service! read more

Ditto on all of the other 5 Star reviews for Mass Ave Lock. South End, Prudential Center area is lucky to have such a great locksmith in the neighborhood. read more

One of the best service providers in Boston. The guys are punctual, polite, efficient and don't rip you off. They have been around for decades and only improved with age. Best locksmiths you could find. Just beware of the young kids who staff the desk during the day. You're likely to have the key made badly. They are also extremely rude and treat you like garbage. Nevertheless, the servicemen who will come to your site are superb and I still give them 5 stars read more

They called me back promptly after I left a message on their vm on a Friday night. The guy was willing to meet me right away (though i chose at 7:30 on Saturday am instead). He was able to fix my existing lock, made some small repairs to my door & it works great now. $150 seemed very reasonable compared to prices I've seen elsewhere. I'd use them again in a heartbeat. read more

Best in Boston. Quality is unsurpassed! An excellent, multi-generation, family run business that treats their customers like gold!