Locked out of your house?

We all know that being locked out of your home can be an extremely stressful time especially in the colder months. Don’t worry, you are not alone, whether you are locked out during the day or even the middle of the night an emergency locksmith can help.   

What to do when you’re locked out of your house...

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t try to break in to your own home as you may cause damage to your property and yourself by doing so. 

Don’t call your local emergency services such as the police or fire brigade, they will charge you and may damage your door as they are not trained locksmiths by trade. These types of emergency call outs to these services are said to cost taxpayers more than 5 million pounds a year.   

Don’t force the wooden or uPVC door. This could cause further damage to the door and incur costly repairs. 

Do call your local emergency locksmith straight away on 0800 035 0451.

The emergency locksmith will ask you the following questions...

• Where are your house keys? - Are they inside your property, stolen or lost? If your keys have been lost or stolen you will need to make your local Police Station aware and give the incident number to the locksmith.
• What type of lock do you have on your door? - Is your door uPVC or wooden? Is the lock shoulder height or waist height?
• Is your lock faulty? - If your lock is faulty the local locksmith will ask you to give a brief a description of what is happening when you are trying to unlock your door.

The majority of emergency locksmiths will recommend an average emergency response time of approximately 30 minutes* to ensure that you are not locked out of your property for too long.

Now relax knowing that a skilled locksmith is on their way...

 *where possible

Do’s and Don’ts on what to do when you are locked out of your home... from Keytek Locksmiths

Locked out of your car?

Don’t worry! You’re not the only person in the world who has been locked out of a car at some point in their life, according to the AA  ‘lost keys/keys locked in car’ is the sixth most common reason for a car breakdown. In 2008 there were 119,907 instances where the AA was called out for this reason.

What do I do when I’m locked out of my car?

Firstly don’t panic, the worst thing you can do in any stressful situation such as being locked out of your car is to panic and stress yourself out further.

Don’t try to break into your car as you may cause damage to your vehicle which will be more costly than calling a local locksmith.

Here are some tips on what to do next...

Call a local locksmith on 0800 035 0451 or search for one on www.keytek.co.uk
 

The local locksmith will then ask you the following questions...

• Where are the keys? Are they in the boot of the vehicle, back seat or passenger’s seat?

• Are the keys in the ignition and is the engine running? 

• Has the car been deadlocked prior to the keys being locked inside?

• What make, model and year is the vehicle?

• Are the windows electric or manual?

Always check that the locksmith you have booked has been DBS checked (formally CRB checked) as you want to be confident in the knowledge that you are booking a credible and trustworthy locksmith to help you in your hour of need. If you are unsure of a locksmith’s identity you can always ask to see his identification badge.   

Now that you have called an emergency locksmith you can sit back and relax knowing that an experienced, credible and trustworthy locksmith is on his way and will be with you within half an hour*. Just enough time to grab a coffee or tea whilst you wait!

*where possible

Have you lost, misplaced or had your car keys stolen?

If you require a new key for your vehicle for whatever reason you will need to contact your local auto-locksmith who will specifically specialise in vehicle key cutting and coding rather than calling a domestic locksmith.

Locked out of car? from Keytek Locksmiths

Locked out? Don’t call your emergency services, call a local locksmith!

Locked out of your home? Who would you call your local fire brigade or your local locksmith?

 

The London Fire Brigade reported that from 2009 – 2012 they had been called out to nearly 22,000 incidents (approximately 20 a day) which would have required a locksmith. These incidents ranged from people trapped in cemeteries to people trapped in toilets.

These call outs are estimated to cost taxpayers more than 5 million.

During 2009 – 2011 the brigade were called to the following incidents:

• 2,287 incidents where people were locked in

• 1,613 incidents where people were locked out

• 1,409 incidents involving babies or children being locked in cars or homes

• 276 adults and 176 children locked in toilets

• 12 people locked in cemeteries

• 14 people locked in cupboards

• a woman stuck in a fridge and a man shut in a freezer

• a person locked in the luggage area of a coach

• a person locked in a crematorium with a child

• a person stuck in a recycling bin

Fire brigades and other emergency services across the UK are looking to reduce these types of callouts; the majority of emergency services have advised an emergency locksmith should be called to these types of incidents unless someone’s life is at risk.

So if you find yourself locked out of your home or locked in please remember to call your local locksmith rather than the emergency services!

We highly recommend saving the number of your local locksmith into your mobile phone in preparation should the worse happen.  Find your nearest locksmith’s number by visiting www.keytek.co.uk and entering your town or postcode in the search bar and click find. 

 Usually a local locksmith will be able to get to a property in response to an emergency situation such as being locked out within an hour. The majority of locksmiths will also put you at ease by offering to give a courtesy ten minute warning call.   

• It is advisable to ask the following questions when calling a locksmith:

• Does the locksmith carry any form of ID?

• Are they DBS checked (formally CRB)?

• Have they been assessed and accredited by industry experts?

• Does the locksmith have any form of accreditation?  

• Do any parts that are replaced come with a guarantee?        

• Do parts supplied by the locksmith meet your home insurance provider’s requirements?

Top ten tips for when you're locked out

Locked out of house, business or car?

We all know that being locked out can be a stressful time for anyone which is why we have put together the following tips for when you do find yourself locked of your house, business or car.

1. Stay calm! The worst thing you can do is panic and stress yourself out when you’re locked out.
 
2. Where are the keys? Do you leave a spare key with a neighbour or relative? By leaving a spare key with a trusted neighbour or family member you will be saving yourself from being locked out of your home if you did loose or misplace your set of keys. It is still recommended that you contact a local locksmith to change your locks as you don’t know who may have picked up the set you have lost or misplaced.
 
3. Do not fiddle with the lock. This may cause damage to the lock making it more difficult for it to be opened.  
 
4. Don’t call your local emergency services, call an emergency locksmith instead! It was reported in 2012 that fire-fighters in London were being called out nearly every hour (approximately 20 a day) to rescue people who were either locked out of their home or car which is estimated to cost taxpayers more than 5 million pounds. (BBC News) 
 
5. Call a local locksmith. When calling a local locksmith always make sure that you are calling a credible and trustworthy accredited locksmith. All credible locksmiths will carry ID on them so make sure you always ask to see it before you invite them to gain entry to your home!
 
6. Check that any local locksmith coming to your home is DBS checked (formally CRB checked). Any locksmith who has been DBS checked will be more than happy to inform you that they have been.
 
7. Make sure any locks you do have changed by an emergency locksmith are to a British Standard. This is important especially in terms of meeting the requirements set by your Home Insurance Provider.
 
8. Don’t shout about it on any type of social media. It may be tempting to share your latest lockout #fail but remember anyone can see it and shows that you and your property are potentially vulnerable!
 
9. If you have lost or misplaced a set of keys make sure you replace all of the locks that relate to the keys you have lost. This could be your garage lock or a shed. Also make sure you notify anyone who you had a spare key for i.e. a neighbour or work that you have lost or misplaced them so that they can get their locks changed.
 
10. Do not try to cut costs by breaking into your own home! You may cause harm to yourself or damage to your property by doing so.  

Watch our video on the 'Top Ten Tips for When You're Locked Out'...