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FAQ

Your picking questions answered

General

Can I pick car doors?

Firstly, remember the rules! Only pick what you own. Car locks can be a bit different, it really depends on the model of vehicle. For older vehicles normal picks will work, for anything a bit newer they use high security locks which need specially made tools for that make of car.

I’m a beginner… where do I start?

I’m looking to get some basic picks. I’m looking for a set suitable for opening all pin and tumbler locks, through raking or SPP. I’ll mostly be doing padlocks and door locks. Can you recommend a product at or under $50?

That’s an easy one, if you’re not sure where to start the PickPals Intro Set is a great set without outlaying too much money. Very popular and a great start to your set, you can expand from here. However, if you want a great set, the Southord Nine Piece Slim Line Lockpick Set is my pick. I have the 22 Piece Slim Line of this set. These are great picks with metal handles and provide great feedback.

Whether you’re a newbie hoping to pop your first lock or an experienced lock picker not quite sure how to build on the skills you already know, download our ebook: Knowledge is Key: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing Lock Picks this eBook contains a lot of valuable information to help you understand what you need and it’s FREE. Not all lock picks are made equal, and not all pickers will enjoy or benefit from the use of certain picks! This eBook aims to provide you with the knowledge to help you understand what makes picks different, and how you can dial into a pick set with qualities that will satisfy your preferences.

I’m Struggling with my Practice Locks

Tips:

  • Don’t get frustrated
  • Make sure you don’t apply to much pressure with the tension bar that is the key! (No pun intended).
  • Reset the lock with the key every now and again in case you have the pins stuck.

Need a little help from a friend? PickPals — PickPals Australian Lock Sport Guild — Australia LockSport Guild Those guys are always talking about their locks and projects.

Intro to Lock Picking?

People often ask what set to go for when starting out with Lock Picking. I’d suggest going for the intro set if you’re just getting into it. It is a bit easier to use the individual picks and the choice of tension wrenches should help greatly. The pocket set is excellent for portability or just throwing in a bag for use whenever its needed, but it doesn’t offer the same level of “feel” as the individual picks. It is pretty fun hobby and can be a good thing to impress your mates.

Pick Guns

They do allow very quick entry without “getting to know” the lock like you would with standard picks. You do however need to get used to the tool with lots of practice, particularly if you’re not familiar with lock picking. It still requires some skill. With experience Lock Pickers open most standard door locks with it in about 5-10 seconds however that was after an hour or two of practice. The best technique is to line the needle so that it is touching all the pins in the lock then rapidly pull the trigger while providing a small amount of tension. It works like one of those newton’s cradle desk toys, bouncing the top part of pins up in unison, then you catch them on the way down through the application of tension. For anyone concerned about these being used to break into buildings with a minimum of skill, don’t be. Pick guns are quite loud (not stealthy) and still take time to learn.

PickPals Intro Set Vs Nine Piece Slim Set

Well picked up, these sets are very similar. The difference in the 9 pce set is the thickness of the Picks. They are able to get into narrower keyways and have thicker metal handles which provide great feedback. The intro set is a PickPals exclusive set put together by us and has everything you need to get started at a great price. We offer the intro as a great entry point with the option to expand later. Both the nine pce set and our intro set are top sellers, made in the us by Southord.

What about Quality?

Like any good product there are clones on the market. We strictly stick to products we believe are good quality and fit for purpose. Our Lock Pick sets are genuine from reputable US manufacturers, of course a clone doesn’t mean it is bad quality, we can’t really comment on the clones as we don’t use them ourselves. We can however say there is a lot of engineering, trail and error that goes into any good quality picks. Found a cheaper price? We definitely don’t want to discourage people from finding other deals, so its always appreciated when this other stuff is pointed out!

Which Practice Lock Should I Buy?

The progressive locks are great, we really like these as a base to start. The progressive locks give you less pins so you can start to feel your way around a lock and slowly move up to more pins. The clear locks are great and are slightly better quality which is reflected in the price. Some beginners use a combination of progressives and clear to get them started. Either lock will keep you busy for a long time.

Why are PickPals Number 1?

We offer only the best quality products and superior customer service. We were the first online shop selling Lock Picks in Australia and New Zealand, we are here to stay! PickPals is actively involved in the Lock Picking community and supports a number of organisations around Australia and New Zealand.

Payment

I didn’t receive my tracking number?

@PickPals, we do our best to ensure you are kept up to date with your order of new Lock Picks! Emails are automated once your order has been completed. Check the email if it hasn’t gone to your junk/spam folder.

All orders do receive a status update when the order has been completed. Tracking can be purchased for a small fee, which includes faster delivery time and peace of mind.

Discount Coupon isn’t applying.

There are some exclusions that apply to discounts. Check out policy under about>Coupons & Discounts.

Do you accept Credit Cards?

We certainly do! We process these via PayPal (PayPal won’t charge you any fees) and signing up for a PayPal account is now optional. Here’s how this easier checkout works:

  1. Enter your name and shipping address.
  2. Complete your credit card, email address, and phone number.
  3. (Optional) After reviewing their information, you may choose to save their information by creating a PayPal account to make future transactions faster.

Please note that PayPal’s fraud prevention measures remain in effect for buyers who use this checkout. PayPal applies the same techniques for this checkout as it does for other transactions keeping your data and credit cards secure!

I don’t have a PayPal account

No PayPal, No Worries! You can still pay via credit/debit without a paypal account. We still use PayPal for it’s security in processing but you don’t need to have an account to make payment. it’s super simple and safe for your piece of mind. 100% Safe, Fast & Secure Shopping! We process credit cards via PayPal (PayPal won’t charge you any fees) and signing up for a PayPal account is now optional. Here’s how this easier checkout works:

  1. Enter your name and shipping address.
  2. Complete your credit card, email address, and phone number.
  3. (Optional) After reviewing their information, you may choose to save their information by creating a PayPal account to make future transactions faster.

Please note that PayPal’s fraud prevention measures remain in effect for buyers who use this checkout. PayPal applies the same techniques for this checkout as it does for other transactions keeping your data and credit cards secure!

Shipping

I didn’t receive my tracking number?

@PickPals, we do our best to ensure you are kept up to date with your order of new Lock Picks! Emails are automated once your order has been completed. Check the email if it hasn’t gone to your junk/spam folder.

All orders do receive a status update when the order has been completed. Tracking can be purchased for a small fee, which includes faster delivery time and peace of mind.

I haven’t received my products?

First up, track your parcel on the Australia Post website (or the New Zealand Post website if you’re in New Zealand). You’ll find your tracking code in the shipping confirmation email or alternately, log in to PickPals and see the status of your order. If things aren’t making sense in the tracking, we’re happy to help out. That said, due to restrictions with Australia Post, we can’t get any answers until the package is more than three days late if ship express or seven days late if standard shipping based on the shipping times. That means if we were sending to Sydney via Regular Post, more than 9 days need to have passed before we can get answers about what’s going on. We know it’s not ideal, but we have to play by Australia Post’s rules, especially at busy times of the year like Christmas and Easter. So if your package is more than three days late if ship express or more than seven days late if standard shipping, drop us a line and be sure to include your name, order number, tracking number, and contact information so we can find out what’s going on for you. If you ordered a backorder product with other items the order will be processed as a single order, we may be waiting on the items to arrive. Check the stock to see if the back ordered item is now in stock.

Shipping Times

What are your shipping times? All of our stock is held in Australia saving you waiting weeks for items to come from the US/Canada. We ship directly from our warehouse to you, with a registered post in Australia, serving all of Australia and shipping to over 100+ countries globally.  We also have a large range of express and overnight services avaliable you can select at the checkout. For more information check out our shipping page.

As a reminder, you can review our delivery reference table below:

 

Please Note: At PickPals we do our best to get your Picks to you ASAP. The following times are based on our current estimations. When you track your parcel, the update ‘Received by Australia Post’ means it has left Perth, not that it is being held in Perth.  e.g. Tracking will show.*Please note that we cannot investigate the whereabouts of your order until the times displayed in this table have been exceeded. i.e. If you are in Brisbane, please do not contact us asking the whereabouts of your parcel until 6 business days (Business days are Mon-Fri) have elapsed.

When tracking my item, what does ‘pending – no events yet’ mean?

The tracking status ‘pending – no events yet’ means that the item hasn’t been scanned yet. This could be because of it: hasn’t been posted yet, OR it’s taking a little longer for Australia post for its first scan, OR was part of a bulk mailing where items have been posted over the counter in bulk but not scanned yet. Please try tracking your item again in 24-48 hours. PickPals posts your lock picks all over Australia and the globe as fast as we can, providing superior customer service. Some of these events may be out of our hands but we won’t leave any stone unturned to ensure your package of quality lock picks and accessories arrive in a timely manner.

My Tracking Number is Invalid

The Tracking number is entered automatically. Occasionally, Australia Post changes the reference numbers and what is scanned will show incorrectly. Simply use the last 12 digits of the code. For example: Tracking Number 01495170851017 should be 495170851017.

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