Need help? Call now:
01234 567890
Need help? Call now:
01234 567890
FAQs
How long does it take for you to gain entry to my vehicle after a lockout?
We are very skilled in what we do, and therefore should only take a few minutes to gain access. This isn’t always the case however, and although it is very rare, it can take anything up to 1 hour+.
How long will it take for you to get to me when I'm locked out?
This is purely dependant on where we are as opposed to you, and on what time of day it is. As a general rule of thumb, it can range anywhere between 5-60+ minutes. We always strive for optimal customer satisfaction, but depending on traffic conditions, there’s sometimes not an awful lot we can do. In a bid to try minimising the wait time, we cover a slightly reduced radius around our dispatch point compared to our competitors.
Can you damage my car during the process of getting me back in?
We would be lying if we told you that damage isn’t something that can’t happen when gaining entry to a vehicle. We are however very good at what we do, and can pick any undamaged door lock in a matter of minutes, causing absolutely no damage whatsoever in the process. Picking the door lock is always, with no exception, our go-to method. If this doesn’t work, we move onto other methods with increasing risk. It’s important to note that not only is this a rare occurrence, but also we explain everything in great detail as we go along to ensure you are okay with the procedure we are about to carry out.
How much does it cost to get me back in my car?
Our prices start at £105 and range up to £180 depending on how far we have to travel, and the type of car we are working on. One thing that unscrupulous locksmiths will do, is charge one thing on the phone and massively inflate it when arriving at the scene. Under no circumstance will we charge more than agreed on the phone/email when we get to you. As professionals in this field, we know exactly what type of lock we will be working with before arriving at the scene, so if it takes 2 minutes to get into the vehicle it will be a set price, and the exact same if it takes 30+ minutes, for example.
Can I pay by card?
Paying by card is absolutely fine. Alternatively, you can pay by cash or bank transfer if you so wish.
I’ve locked myself out and lost my car keys – can you make me a new one?
Yes, we do offer a key cutting and programming service. If you would like more details on this, click here.
Is it possible that you'll damage my car during key programming?
Just like gaining entry to your vehicle, it is possible. This is very dependant on the vehicle we’re working on. A lot of vehicles are fairly easy to program a key to if you know what you’re doing, whereas there are others that are much more complicated. These require much higher levels of expertise, and anyone without this can easily damage the software and electronics on your vehicle.
Some cars even have faulty BCMs and ECUs straight our of the factory. When programming a key, our programmers communicate with these modules, and if they’re faulty, simply programming a key to them will result in major consequences, more commonly known in this trade as ‘bricking’. There is a list of these vehicles that any professional auto locksmith should have. For example, there is a series of Nissan vehicles using proximity keys (non-bladed ignition keys) that have faulty BCMs. This means that an auto locksmith that does everything right during key programming can ‘brick’ your vehicle, meaning the car won’t start – it is basically a brick.
In the name of transparency, this is just one of many ways of damaging a car during programming, but it shouldn’t put you off. Risks come in all shapes and sizes and in all trades, but as long as someone who knows what they’re doing is working on your car, the chances of a mishap are minimal.
Do you ever smash windows when gaining entry?
Smashing a window is never anything but a last resort. It is something that we’ve never done to date (at the time of writing this), however it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility in the future.
It is a bit of a difficult topic, because the owner of the car in understandably frustrated, but at the same time we can only work with what we’ve got. As time goes on cars just get more and more secure, so if we literally just cannot get in, smashing the window may seem unprofessional, but at the same time is the only way of getting into a vehicle. Like we say though, the likelihood of it happening is very low.
How do you actually lock yourselves out of modern cars?
The most common reasons for locking yourself out of a modern car tend to be either battery failure in the fob, vehicle settings and electronic malfunctions. If the battery in the fob fails, it obviously means the buttons/proximity features won’t work and you’re locked out. We do carry the most commonly used batteries around with us to replace them for you should that be the problem. More on vehicle settings – some vehicles have settings on them which tell the vehicle doors to lock ‘x’ number of seconds after the ignition has been turned off, for example. This means that if your keys are still inside the vehicle, you won’t be able to get them out if this time limit exceeds. As for the electronics, sometimes the central locking malfunctions, but also on modern cars, there are receivers in various places such as the wing mirrors. If these malfunction, it’s very possible for the signals to get mixed up and therefore your keys get locked inside the car.