Locked Out in a Car Park in Rednal, Birmingham?

What to Do Now

Follow the steps below in order, and call as soon as you can. The sooner we know where the car is, the sooner we can come to you.

• Check every door and the boot. One door may still be open, and the boot release may work from inside the car.
• Move to a safe, well-lit place near the car, away from moving traffic, while you wait.
• Call 07367 634032 and tell us the name of the car park, the level or row, and the make and model of the car.
• Tell us what has happened: keys locked inside, keys lost, or a key that will not work.
• Have your V5C logbook or photo ID ready if you have it with you, because we ask for proof of ownership.
• Stay with the car if you can, and keep your phone charged, so we can reach you when we arrive.

If a Child or Pet Is Locked in the Car

A child or pet locked in a car is an emergency, and the first call is always 999, ahead of any call to a locksmith. A car heats up fast in warm weather, and the emergency services can break in to reach the child or pet. Ring 999 first, then ring us on 07367 634032. Stay beside the car, shade it where you can, and never leave a child or pet alone in a locked car.

Station Car Parks

Station car parks are where commuters lock themselves out most, because the morning rush leaves no time to think. You step out of the car, the door shuts, and the keys sit on the seat while the train is due in minutes. Longbridge station car park sees this every week, with drivers heading for Birmingham city centre, and Barnt Green station car park sees it with drivers heading for the cross-city line. Northfield station car park is the same, with commuters parking early and walking fast to the platform.

If you are locked out in a station car park, tell us which station it is, and which part of the car park the car sits in, because station car parks are large and the rows look alike. Tell us the time of your train if you have one, so we know the pressure you are under, and tell us the make and model of the car. We come to Longbridge, Barnt Green and Northfield station car parks, and to the other station car parks in the areas we cover. Read our Longbridge page for more on the area around Longbridge station.

Retail Car Parks

Retail car parks catch drivers at the end of a shop, when the bags are in the boot and the keys are on the seat. Longbridge Town Centre car park is a busy one, with shoppers parking for the shops and the food outlets, and a lockout there often means a trolley full of shopping and a car that will not open. The retail areas around Rubery see the same, with drivers parking for a quick shop and then finding the fob will not answer.

If you are locked out in a retail car park, tell us the name of the shops or the centre, and the row or bay the car sits in, because retail car parks are wide and the bays repeat. Move the shopping into the shade if you can, and keep the receipts with you, because they help to show the car is yours. We come to Longbridge Town Centre and the Rubery retail areas, and we are open 24 hours, so a late-night lockout after the shops shut is answered too. Read our Rubery page for more on the area.

Hospital Car Parks

Hospital car parks are where lockouts hurt most, because the driver is often a visitor or a member of staff, and the day is already hard. Queen Elizabeth Hospital car parks see staff finishing a long shift, and visitors leaving after hours at a bedside, and a locked car at that moment is the last thing anyone needs. The car parks around Selly Oak see the same, with staff and visitors parking early and leaving late.

If you are locked out in a hospital car park, tell us the name of the hospital and the car park, and the level or zone the car sits in, because hospital car parks are large and split into zones. Tell us if you are staff on a shift, because we know the pressure of a shift ending and a car that will not open. We come to Queen Elizabeth Hospital car parks and the car parks around Selly Oak, and we are open 24 hours, so a lockout at the end of a night shift is answered. Read our Selly Oak page for more on the area.

Country Park Car Parks

Country park car parks catch walkers and families, because the keys go into a pocket for a walk and come out again at the car, or they do not come out at all. Lickey Hills Country Park car park is the one we know best, with walkers parking for the hills and the woods, and finding the fob will not answer after a long walk in the rain. A wet fob, a flat fob battery, or a key dropped on a path can all leave a car locked at the edge of the park.

If you are locked out in a country park car park, tell us the name of the park and the car park, and where the car sits, because country park car parks are open and the cars spread out. Tell us if the key was dropped on a walk, because a lost key needs a replacement, while a locked-in key needs the car opened. We come to Lickey Hills Country Park car park, and to the other country park car parks in the areas we cover. Read our Lickey page for more on the area around the hills.

What Affects the Price

The cost turns on what has happened, the make and model, and on whether a fresh key has to be cut and coded. A car opened with the keys inside runs to less than a car with each key gone, since fewer stages are part of it. The price is spelled out in plain words before we begin. To look closer at the points behind the price, read our car key replacement cost page and our locked out of car page.

Useful Guidance

Official sources are linked below, covering stolen-vehicle reporting and vehicle security. Look at them where your keys were stolen in a car park, or where the papers we ask for leave you unsure.

• GOV.UK — What to do if your vehicle has been stolen — report a stolen vehicle to the police and the insurer
• Thatcham Research — research on vehicle security
• Citizens Advice — consumer guidance — the rights you hold as a buyer