Locked Out of Your Car at the NEC or Birmingham Airport? What to Do

First, do the calm checks

Try every door, the boot, and any tailgate release — cars sometimes leave one access point unlocked. Then think about a spare: is one at home with someone who could bring it? If you are travelling with family, check pockets, bags and the people you are with before assuming the worst.

If the keys are genuinely locked inside or lost, move to the next step. Do not force anything — improvised attempts at locks and seals damage them, and replacement parts cost far more than the professional opening you were avoiding.

Locked out at the NEC

Event car parks are huge, and wandering them wastes the time you need. Stay with the car if it is safe to do so, and note the car park name and the zone — the NEC signs are lettered and numbered, which makes you findable.

Call from where you are. We will meet you at the vehicle, verify ownership, and open the car or make a replacement key at the car — all in the car park.

At Birmingham Airport, before your flight

If you are flying out: call us first, then tell your airline what is happening. Airlines handle passengers delayed by lockouts regularly, and talking to them early gives you the most options.

If you have just landed and the fob battery has died while the car sat in long-stay parking, a dead fob is often a quick job — but do not assume it, because a flat fob can mask other issues. Describe what the car is doing when you call.

What we need on the call

Four things get you help fastest:

• Where exactly — NEC or airport, the car park name, and the zone, row or level
• The car — make, model, year, colour and registration
• What happened — keys locked inside, lost keys, or a dead fob
• A contact number that works where you are — signal is patchy in some car parks