Sean was in our store today looking at safes for home. After two bad experiences with home security safes from big box stores he has learned the hard way. The first security safe was too light weight and not bolted down; it was carried off by burglars with the wife’s jewelry and all their important papers inside while he and his family slept undisturbed upstairs. The second home security safe was larger and heavier, but not very good quality. Two months after the one-year warranty expired the handle malfunctioned. After several phone conversations with the manufacturer and hours of frustration he was still unable to open the safe. At that point Sean realized it was well past time to invest in a quality home safe and he came to visit us at Maximum Security Safes.

So, how do you buy a home safe? A security safe that will truly protect your valuables, not just give you a false sense of security? The first key is asking questions about the product you are considering so you know what you are buying. You are looking to protect some of your most precious valuables; this decision warrants careful consideration not a knee jerk response.

It is important to understand is that there is such a thing as too good a deal. We have a $285, 185 lb, 2 cu ft security safe in our store from a leading supplier of safes in the country. The inexpensive digital lock failed and the owner couldn’t find the back-up key. The security safe was then opened by an eager teenager with a home screw driver in 2 minutes. The owner brought the safe to us in disgust, looking for a security safe he could trust.

What questions will you ask to prevent this scenario from happening to you?

• 1) Is the home security safe made of steel or plastic? (How much value will you entrust to a plastic security box?)
• 2) Has this home safe been tested against burglary and/or fire by a responsible testing entity like United Laboratories (U.L.)? Be very careful if the sales person says “It’s just as good as…”.
• 3) Can you get support from the place you are buying the security box, should you need it?

Obviously there are many more questions that you can ask, and you should, before you make this important decision. These considerations hold true regardless of the type of safe you are looking for, general purpose home safes, jewelry safes, gun safes as well as safes for business. If you have the opportunity, go to a store that has a good variety, 20+ security safes, on their showroom floor of various sizes and price ranges. Test the locks, open and close the doors and begin to get a feel for what you get at different price points. If the security safe does not have any labels on it from independent testing labs, buyer beware.

Don’t fall into the trap of learning the hard way like Sean and our other customer mentioned above. Learn from their mistakes and make an educated purchase.

Morals to the story.

• 1) If you must get a small light home safe, bolt it down.
• 2) Believe the truth of the old adage, you get what you pay for.
• 3) Ask questions of a knowledgeable source before you buy.