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How Sold Secure Ratings Help Consumers

A year ago, Sold Secure published their 2024 Approved Product Catalogue. In our latest blog post we revisit the important work carried out by Sold Secure labs to independently test and grade security products.

Whereas, once upon a time, if we were buying padlocks, bicycle locks or other important security devices, we would visit a reputable shop and take the advice of a knowledgeable sales person. While this is still possible, most people these days, do their shopping online. But online shopping, although very convenient, is fraught with risks.

Online Shopping Risks

Buying online enables shoppers to examine a vast range of products from many disparate suppliers and choose the one they like the best, often the cheapest. But there are significant risks that all online shoppers need to be aware of, especially when shopping for security products.

Counterfeit Products and Fake Websites

Fake and counterfeit security products are a significant risk. Some of these fakes look exactly like the real thing but have fake logos and are unlikely to meet safety or performance standards.

Another form of fakery are fake, copy websites that look exactly like the genuine product manufacturer’s website. These fake ecommerce sites might appear to offer the same range of products but shoppers can be supplied with counterfeit products or even have their personal details stolen.

Unreliable Sellers

Its very easy to establish a professional-looking ecommerce website these days. Unreliable, disreputable sellers who do this can be responsible for poor delivery, issues with returning defective products and a lack of customer care.

When shopping online its always a good idea to check and verify the reputation of the supplier and the reviews submitted by previous customers.

Incorrect Product Specifications

Online product descriptions and specifications for security products need to be accurate. But sadly, this is sometimes not the case. Incorrect product specifications can result in the purchase of items that do not meet requirements.

Ensuring compatibility with other security systems is another important consideration when purchasing security products. This is often best achieved by consulting a professional who has the expertise necessary to provide accurate guidance.

Lack of Professional Advice

The absence of professional help is possibly one of the biggest risks when shopping for security products online. Its very easy to make mistakes and waste money on products that are simply not right for the job.

Importance of Sold Secure Ratings

The Sold Secure organisation works from purpose built laboratories in Rugby, where they undertake completely independent testing and assessment of security products by subjecting them to manual attack testing.

Sold Secure is now owned and administered by the Master Locksmiths association. But the organisation was originally established, back in 1992, by Northumbria and Essex Police. Their primary goal is help consumers and businesses make informed decisions regarding security-related products. They do this by providing reliable, standardised security ratings, publishing their Sold Secure Approved Product Catalogue and offering their excellent, free online Approved Product Search facility.

Sold Secure Labs carry out rigorous security product testing by subjecting submitted security products to a wide variety of relevant, real-world attack methods. These tests are based on the tactics criminals and thieves are known to use such as angle grinder attacks, sledge hammers, drilling, picking and much more.

Sold Secure labs operate entirely independently from manufacturers and retailers, thereby ensuring totally unbiased and objective test results. This independence has helped establish a very high level of trust in their assessments and security ratings.

What are Sold Secure Ratings or Grades?

Sold Secure security ratings are a simple classification system that represents the level of security offered by tested products. These levels range from Bronze, through Silver and Gold to Diamond. Products with a Bronze classification offer the most basic level of security, suitable for low risk applications. But products that achieve Sold Secure Diamond ratings have been assessed to offer the highest level of security, capable of withstanding prolonged, professional level attacks and optimal for use in higher risk applications or areas.

Sold Secure security ratings are now also specified based on product types. For example, a Sold Secure Motorcycle Diamond rating is the highest level of security awarded to motorcycle security products, such as our Big Boy 3 Ground Anchor. 

 Another example is the Sold Secure Powered Cycle Diamond rating, awarded to our Squire Stronghold D16 Max D-Lock. This device has achieved the highest level of security rating for security devices designed for increasingly popular electric bikes (e-bikes), scooters and other forms of powered cycles.

 The full range of Sold Secure approved product grades can be seen in the drop down list presented from their advanced search tool. They cover a wide range of security product categories from lock cylinders to key safes and more.

In practice, products with a Sold Secure Diamond rating means is these security products have been found to be extremely difficult to break, bypass or overcome, even with tools used by professional thieves. The Diamond security rating makes these products suitable for use in high risk areas and they are recommended for protecting high value motorcycles and e-bikes.

Sold Secure Ratings with Expert Customer Support

It should be clear that Sold Secure product ratings provide consumers with precisely what’s needed to make informed security product selection. Their free online search tool lists their wide range of product approval categories from Audible Accessory Alarms to Security Cabinets.

The ‘keyword search’ facility is particularly useful. A quick search for ‘tool chest’, for example, returns the Armorgard Tuffbank range of storage boxes, suitable for keeping tools and equipment safe and secure in vans and on trucks and work sites. These top end tool and equipment chests have achieved Sold Secure: Security Cabinets - Silver grading. This means these steel lockboxes have been exhaustively tested by Sold Secure labs and clearly present a high level resistance to forced entry.

The tool cabinets will have been subjected to a variety of typical attacks including drilling, prying and lock manipulation. The Armorgard Tuffbank range of tool boxes are robustly constructed from high quality materials and components including thick steel, high quality hinges and robust locks. They also include additional security protection with anti-drill plates and dual locking systems.

The Sold Secure Silver grade means these cabinets are robust enough to prevent access for a prolonged period of time, even when attacked using aggressive techniques and tools. This makes these cabinets ideal for a wide range of both professional and domestic applications. And importantly, these cabinets will meet or exceed insurance policy requirements.

Expert Guidance Ensures Customer Satisfaction

While Sold Secure assessments and grades provide a high level of confidence in the security capabilities of various products they don’t tell consumers whether the product is right for their specific needs. As previously noted, the absence of professional advice and guidance can sometimes result in online shoppers making inappropriate purchases.

Friendly, experienced and readily available expert guidance is what’s needed when deciding on the best and most appropriate security solution. The ability to discuss specific requirements with trustworthy experts, who know and understand the solutions available, is invaluable. They can make sensible, unbiased, objective recommendations and suggestions that will ensure money and time isn’t wasted on security products that are simply inappropriate.

See our previous post on Sold Secure here.

If you have any questions about Sold Secure approved security products, or if you have any special requirements, remember we are here to help. Give us a ca ll on 01273 475500 and we’ll provide you with free, expert advice.

This message was added on Thursday 20th February 2025