We know, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. But there are some questions you might not want to ask your local shop or riding buddies. AASQ is our weekly series where we get to the bottom of your questions – serious or otherwise. Hit the link at the bottom of the post to submit your own question!
It’s once again that time of the week where we seek answers to your questions – or seek out the companies who can answer them directly. Kryptonite is back for the second week to take on questions about everything bike lock. While a few questions are about locks specifically, we also got a few questions about Kryptonite’s ATPO or Anti Theft Protection Offer – which may be of interest if you’re worried about your bike being stolen.
What’s the safest way to lock up my bike if I have to leave it downtown for the day? – Rich
Kryptonite: Hi Rich, sounds as though you are locking up in a metropolitan or a major metropolitan area. If you are locking up in a metropolitan area (a city like Cincinnati) all-day we recommend that you lock with a High Security lock with a rating of a 7-8 out of 10 on our security scale. If you are locking up in a major metropolitan area all-day (a city like New York City) we recommend that you lock with a 9-10 out of 10 on our security scale. Click here for more information on how to choose a lock according to the length of time vs the area you lock up. Also, how you lock up is just as important as choosing the right lock, check out these videos for tips on locking up in the proper manner link.
Kryptonite says that they can provide keyed alike locks to consumers. How does their system work on which locks and how fast? – Alex
Kryptonite: Hi Alex, we do have a keyed alike program. As of right now we have the program for a limited number of U-lock products, (NY Standard, NY LS, Evolution Mini-9, Evolution Mini-5). Timing wise, ordering Keyed Alike locks typically takes approximately 1-2 weeks.
Questions about Kryptonite’s ATPO program
I have heard from my local shop that most people don’t get reimbursed from your anti-theft policy. Why is this? – Dan
Kryptonite: Hi Dan, we can say from a factual standpoint, that this is actually not true. The majority of people who file claims are reimbursed. Globally we have averaged a pay out of around $150k per year. The typical reason that people do not get paid on a claim will be because they are missing a major portion of the requirements in the process, or they have not signed up for the ATPO process when they bought the lock in the beginning. It’s an important point we try to educate people on that it’s not an automatic plan, you NEED to sign up for the program upon purchasing the lock within 30 days.
We understand that if someone does have a claim denied, specifically for a reason above, they may be the person shouting the loudest, and give an impression that we do not pay out on ATPO, but again, we really do stand behind our product, and this program.
I heard about and checked your companies ATPO out. While loving it in the first place I was irritated by the fact that you have to provide a photo / and or the broken lock. What if the thief takes the broken lock with him? Isn’t it is obvious that thieves will try to get rid of the evidence / proof of theft? I learned while researching that your previous ATPO was not asking to pay on an annual basis for the protection. What made you change? – Alex
Kryptonite offers anti-theft protection insurance, but claiming it requires a photo of the broken lock. Problem is, every bike I’ve had stolen the thief also took my lock! Is there a better way? Most people only find out when they try to claim, which adds a grim icing to the unhappiness. – Damon
Kryptonite: Hi Alex and Damon, some similar questions, so I hope you don’t mind if we answer you together.
About having a piece of the broken lock, or an image of the broken lock, this is an integral part of the ATPO process. In our experience with these situations, most often the thief leaves the defeated lock. We need to have some level of proof that the lock was defeated. There are situations where a bike is locked to something like a chain link fence, and the fence is clipped. Then, no lock is left, and it wasn’t the lock that was defeated. While we 100% stand behind our product, and the optional ATPO service – I’m sure you can imagine, that a program like this with such large potential payouts, can be attractive to someone who is trying to commit fraud, which we’ve absolutely experienced.
Alex, On the question about the shift of offering in the APTO program – that isn’t really how it’s changed. We still offer free 1-year optional ATPO for our Ultimate and High security products, with a fee for year one on Moderate level security products that offer the service. The difference is now you’re able to extend the offer up to 5 years, instead of just 3.
One note on why we keep writing “optional” in front of ATPO, is that it’s an optional program. One of the biggest disconnects we have with the program, that continually try to educate on, is you must sign up for the program within 30 days of purchasing the lock. It doesn’t just automatically turn on when you buy the lock.
How the ATPO helps Kryptonite design better locks
Do you hire ex-bike thieves when designing your locks? It seems like they would have the most know how on how to defeat a lock. – Sarah
Kryptonite: Hi Sarah, No, we do not have any ex-bike thieves working with us on our designs. We do however keep current of the techniques they use, and work to strengthen our product accordingly. We’re constantly testing against known methods that thieves use today. One of the benefits of our ATPO program – is we are able to see locks that have been defeated in the streets and work to improve them based on those findings.
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