Consider This A Warning: Read Before Clicking "Lowest Price"

Posted by Ryan Barbin, AKS on Oct 19th 2026

Not all advice arrives on time. I’m hoping this might.

If you’re reading this letter…
then it reached you in time.

That’s good.

That means you’re still in business.

This may come as a shock, but I’m you! Not metaphorically. Not spiritually.
I mean future you—still a locksmith… though I’ve seen more than a few timelines where that didn’t work out.

I am writing this letter in hopes it may convince you to avoid some decisions that could cost me…you…us… more than you realize.

Yes, I am aware this seems very strange. Trust I am feeling it too. But it isn’t a joke or a prank.

Consider this a warning!

Read this entire letter before clicking anything that says “lowest price.”

Buying Cheap Often Only Delays the Bill

If you end up doing what I know you’re about to do—because I am you—you’ll make a few purchases based purely on the lowest price.

And they’ll feel smart in the moment.

They just won’t stay that way.

I’m not telling you to avoid sales or good deals. Those matter.

I’m telling you to avoid buying cheap for the sake of saving money—because those are the decisions that come back later, asking for more than you ever saved.

A Few Key Items to Consider:

Key Blanks—An item used so often they start to feel cheaper by the dozen. Though, cheaper often means harder metals, inconsistent milling, poor plating, off dimensions. These lead to more time cutting keys, increased wear, and customers thinking you’re just unprofessional at your job.

If you have to explain why the new key feels “tight," the damage is already done.

Cutting Blades—Opting for cheaper blades can lead to faster dulling, inconsistent cuts, premature machine wear, having to re-cut more often, and time wasted diagnosing problems you could have easily avoided with a higher quality purchase.

A dull blade wastes more time than a slow machine ever will.

Remotes—Weak solder points, inconsistent transponder chips, weak antennas, cheaper components with short and inconsistent lifespans… it leads to remotes that won't program, or worse yet, they program in and then stop working after a couple of weeks, leaving the customer feeling burned. This can ultimately result in unpaid return visits, out-of-pocket replacements, loss of referrals and more.

Cheaper remotes are far more likely to fail, and they will do it on their schedule—not yours.

Programmers and Tools—Software instability, inconsistent updates, lag and timeout issues, poor connection and flimsy cables can really add up on the future bill you will be forced to pay. You’ll spend more time on-site reattempting, resetting, reprogramming, and ultimately suffering mental fatigue, dread, and having to apologize to your customers.

If you have to say “sometimes it does this,” that’s because sometimes you buy cheap.

Key Machines—Keys that “almost” work, slower workflow, motors that struggle under pressure, all can be prevented by just investing in a better machine. Calibration issues, lagging, glitching, inconsistencies in tolerance, cut, drift, and more repairs are what you are actually purchasing when you choose to save a more money on the initial purchase. Though some cheaper machines look great, they headaches are also part of the package deal, along with…

• Non-existent support, or requiring you to communicate with someone in China at 2 A.M. in the morning, with replies sometimes taking 24-hours at a time.
• Non-existent or extremely expensive overseas repairs.
• Key database with lots of holes (some cheaper machines don't support all the key types you need).
• Slow updates, (when a new key is released, it takes forever for the machines to be able to cut it).
• Slow cutting speeds. Only the fast machine makers like to talk about speed, but the cheaper machines can take TWICE as long to cut the same key.
• Lack of community support, meaning that real locksmith pros probably aren't using or are unfamiliar with the cheap machines and can’t accurately assist.
• Weak motors that break quickly.
• Slow tablets running the software.

A cheap machine doesn’t stop working — it starts making you work around it.

A Cheap Machine Still Needs A Skilled Hand

It’s not only the cheap products and parts that can set you back. It’s the regret of what you should have done. Education, training, pricing, understanding which jobs to say yes to, and when to say no are all opportunities to invest in yourself and your business and that’s where being cheap can really cost you!

Locksmithing has more resources than ever before, and it will only continue to grow—more classes and training, apprenticeships, online demos and how-to videos, forums and group chats, and much more. Though, it is important to not merely go the cheaper route and stick to free videos and guides when it comes to your chosen profession. There is a ton of misinformation out there, not to mention incorrect practices and techniques.

Investing in real hands-on training from seasoned and professional locksmiths is worth the cost, as it prepares you in-depth for the problems you’ll incur daily on the job.

As you already know, when the internet took over our daily lives, we received access to endless information at our fingertips. However, with this came endless misinformation as well. I can tell you firsthand from the future, that as AI continues to grow and develop with more systems and users, another “AI” will grow with it—Artificial Ignorance.

It’s not that it’s dumb AI, it’s that it’s confidently wrong, much like our friend Chad who is always trying to cheap out and do the repairs himself.

Note to Self: Spend less time with Chad. At some point, you will be standing in a ditch at night wondering how you got there.

AI can create epistemic bubbles, where they are designed to prioritize things differently, leading to producing different “truths”. As humans rely more on it, they become lazier and start to trust AI without double-checking their facts. So, where the Internet killed friction, AI kills effort.

This being said, even though AI can be a great tool for locksmiths, it shouldn’t be relied on without real, tried and true knowledge, training, and practical skill.

The Cheapest Price Comes With the Fewest Answers

Support is part of the price. When you choose to buy from bottom-dollar distributors, you get invited to a party of one. You’ll struggle to get accountability, support, answers, assistance, or even a return call or email. They will seemingly disappear when problems arise and so will your sanity.

Every return will become a nightmare and you’ll waste so much time and frustration dancing around in circles with no end in sight. You see, sometimes the cost you pay is invisible, and that’s something you won’t realize until you’re all on your own, left to figure it out by yourself.

The extra cost you pay to buy from a quality distributor actually purchases you peace of mind, support and product knowledge, fast results and genuine care….plus reliable and fast shipping!

I’m telling you now so you don’t waste so much time and hairs off your head by making this costly mistake. Vet your options. Purchase wisely and you’ll go much farther, faster.

Saving money is easy when you’re alone. Support is what costs — and what saves you later.

The Timeline You Want to Be In

I can’t stop you from clicking “lowest price.” I wouldn’t try to. I can only tell you what happens in the timelines where you do—and the ones where you don’t.

In the good ones, the work feels smoother. The days end earlier,
the tools stop fighting you and you spend less time explaining and more time doing.

You’re still tired—but it’s the good kind. The kind that comes from progress, not frustration.

You don’t go out of business because of one bad purchase. You go out because of a pattern. Break the pattern early. That’s the whole warning.

If you’re still reading this, then maybe this message reached you in time.

That means you still get to choose. Choose carefully.

One Last Thing

If you ever find yourself explaining why something should work—

that’s your cue.

That’s future me, trying to get your attention.

— You/Me. Same Difference.

P.S. You will find a wallet in a grocery store parking lot and attempt to return it.

Don’t.

This becomes a whole thing.

Trust—You are not the hero in this story.