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MYTHS ABOUT THE MLA –
Rumours You May Have Heard

Myths About the MLA - Rumours You May Have Heard
There are several myths circulating about the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) & how we operate such as we charge our locksmiths thousands of pounds to join, we make locksmiths buy tools from us or we tell members how much they should charge for jobs.

None of these rumours are true, however we understand they can be concerning for anyone who is thinking about joining the Association.

Our myth-buster guide below addresses some of these common misconceptions:

Myth –  The MLA charges £1000’s for membership

Truth – The Lowest Membership fee is £95

Membership pricing is no secret, we’re clear and transparent regarding any fees associated with membership.

Information about joining the MLA is easily accessible on our membership page, and we’re happy to share:

Membership Fees (inc VAT)

  • Registered membership annual fees are £111
  • QML membership annual fees are £95
  • Approved Company membership annual fees are £462 (£252 for branches)

For details about MLA membership, see below:


Myth – The MLA make people buy tools on courses

Truth – We do not sell locksmith tools

We do not sell locksmith tools to those attending our locksmith courses.

As of late 2020, the addition of our Auto locksmithing course offers the option for individuals to purchase picks or bring their own, picks can be purchased directly from Keyprint at a special rate.

In 2021 we saw the addition of the 7-lever safe lock opening course, like the auto course, there’s an option to purchase picks at a discounted price.

These picks aren’t sold by the MLA but are offered at cost price by Safe Ventures whose MD Darren Foreman is the primary tutor for the course.


Myth –  The MLA tells it’s members what to charge

The Truth – We never dictate prices to members

This is false, we have never told members what to charge for locksmith jobs, and not only would we not want this to happen, this would be illegal as it would be considered price fixing.

Your business is your business and as long as you charge in line with any quotes or agreements made with customers, we’re happy.


Myth – If you don’t tell members what to charge, why is a price list on the website?

Truth – Our price list is a guide only

The locksmith price list on our site is a guide, as clearly stated.

Prices have been put together based on prices from members across the country and give an average cost for a job, this guide is based on members telling us what they charge for the jobs – not the other way around!

Our price guide also clearly stated that there are many factors involved with pricing such as quality of materials and the exact location of the job.


Myth – The MLA takes a fee for any jobs booked through the website

Truth – No fees are taken for jobs booked 

The MLA takes NO fee for jobs booked via the MLA website.

All Locksmiths listings on the MLA website are covered by the membership fee.

There are no other costs associated with jobs booked via the MLA site (or indeed through MLA membership in any way), any work secured via the website/membership is 100% yours.

The MLA takes no fee from work gained through our locksmith listings.


Myth –  The website doesn’t even do well, no one uses it

Truth – Over 1 million users visit the MLA site per year

The MLA website has grown year-on-year. During 2020 we had over 1 million unique visitors to the site looking for a locksmith in their area & locksmith advice.

In addition to the web presence itself, our website provides various ways for users to contact our members.

We were delighted to see the following from our web statistics.

  • 41K Telephone Calls to MLA members in 2020
  • 14K Emails to MLA members in 2020
  • 1.6 Million Unique Users on MLA website in 2020

Myth – The MLA Spends 10’s of thousands per year to appear on TV

Truth – We have not spent a penny to appear on TV

Another rumour is the MLA have spend 10’s of thousands of pounds a year just to appear on tv shows like Rogue traders, gadget show, Rip off Britain etc.

This is false, we have never spent a penny on TV appearances, on all occasions we were contacted directly to support as we are and will continue to be the leading association for locksmiths in the UK.


If you are interested in joining the UK’s largest locksmith association, contact us below for more info:

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