The Flying Locksmiths - Seattle

Thomas Kong

Consider someone else who is certified by the vendor if you want your job done right. We hired TFL Seattle for fixing a maglock system with ProdataKey access controller which failed to open all of a sudden despite correct PIN code being entered. Our setting includes two doors with a cloud controller on the main entrance plus an expansion controller on secondary entrance, which was linked to the cloud controller wirelessly. Both controllers were installed by Element Locksmith from Seattle in early 2019. The main entrance door has worked flawlessly however the secondary had some issues shortly after installation. Although the issue was resolved by Element timely it was felt it may make more sense to get someone else this time that is why Flying Locksmith was hired, as they are heavily advertising ProdataKey access control solutions on their website. On July 23rd 2020, two service tech were dispatched, W and J (Let's use their first name initials). A few minutes into the job, I felt neither TFL tech was familiar with the ProdataKey, as W, the seemingly more senior tech, could not name the two PDK devices properly. Upon asking, his response was "I worked on PDK before" which did not sound assuring. As such, 15 minutes into the job, I requested to have the service time limited to 2 hours. Long story short, after two hours, not only did TFL tech fail to resolve the issue, they made it worse as the REX was no longer working when they left. It was also realized hours later the PDK controller board had some power supply issues so I am pretty upset as the whole controller may need to be replaced. At the time of this review the issue is still outstanding and I am sharing my sour experience in the hope others will make a wise decision when they choose a locksmith for their access control solution. After TFL left, I decided to take a closer look by myself. I climbed up and noticed a red and black wire were connected together to a terminal marked as negative. Feeling confused, I called Element Locksmith, the original installer, who declared they would never do such. I decided to disconnect those two wires. I forgot to take a photo beforehand but realized and took a photo (below) after the wires were pulled. Referencing a wiring diagram I found on PDK's website, I believed the red wire in question was from manual exit button, and should be connected to the white wire from Rex, which was wrapped with a piece of electrical tape and not connected with anything. When the red wire was connected to Neg it completes the loop for maglock as such the REX would not have any effect. Based on above I rewired it and door appeared to be working again even with PIN pad access. [Update] Shortly after above fix, I happened to notice a new problem that the controller would not work without the backup battery. Called PDK and support tech hinted the board might be fried. TFL Owner James Kung repeatedly denied over the phone that his tech touched the wiring inside the controller other than adding a wire connector so I hung up and decided not to talk to him again. Surveillance video footage showed W had spent over 30 minutes on the ladder. While the PDK controller box itself was not directly visible in the video footage as the box is located above the ceiling tile, it was obvious he was working on the controller from top of my ladder. I would also like to argue, if they didn't modify the wiring, what they had been doing with all the time spent on the ladder? Why the video footage revealed maglock failed to engage for about one hour between 10:54:45 and 11:55:01, after W did something between 10:49 and 10:54AM apparently on the controller? If the tech are not too familiar with PDK product should they at least bring a wiring diagram with them? If they did not change the wiring should they at least discover the wiring was incorrect if they know what they are doing? I think the answers are clear.

Brant Greene

Greg was very helpful with the process of explaining our options for a new door entry system in our small condo building. Our biggest goal was to have a flexible, cloud-based system that would allow us to "buzz-in" visitors without having to install complex and costly hardware. Greg recommended that we use Openpath to control access to 3 doors and the elevator. We had lots of interactions over several months preparing for the installation. Greg was patient and responsive. Things went smoothly on installation day. We had it running by the end of the day. There were no surprises. The system does exactly what we wanted and hoped it would do. The installation tech - Dan was excellent. He was well-prepared, organized and super knowledgeable regarding all aspects of this system. Would highly recommend Greg and his team at TFL.

Wade Plante

We were forced to use this company when we purchased Open Path for keyless entry into our building. We have had numerous issues with the installation and had our first break in a week after they installed the locks. We tried using them for a lock that wouldn't open, out of perceived customer loyalty. We were charged over $300 for a 5 min service call. I would not recommend them.

Amy Tipton

Best service, and these guys even reached out to all the lock places in town to see if they could replace our vintage 1980s lock to avoid extra costs in parts and labor. All of the staff were very helpful, and the result was a high quality product, impeccable installation, and cost savings. Definitely work with these awesome people!

Anthony J Frank Sr

True professionals that have your best interests at heart.