Knowing in advance what a competent locksmith will actually do, and roughly what it should cost, turns a stressful scramble into a manageable inconvenience, and it is the best protection there is against being overcharged in the moment.

The single most useful thing you can do about a lockout is understand it before it happens, because the doorstep, cold and flustered, is the worst place to start learning. LocksmithLocal attends lockouts constantly, and the reassuring reality is that the overwhelming majority are resolved quickly and without damage to your door. The horror stories that make the news are the exception, not the rule, and they almost always share the same avoidable features, which means knowing the normal process is most of the defence.

The first thing worth knowing is that a good locksmith opens most doors without destroying anything. Non-destructive entry is a core skill of the trade, a set of techniques for manipulating a lock open so that it still works perfectly afterwards and you are not left needing a new one. For the common situation of a door that has simply latched behind you, or a standard lock you are shut out of, a trained locksmith expects to get you back in without drilling and without a replacement. If someone reaches for a drill as their opening move on an ordinary lockout, that is a signal something is wrong, because destruction should be the last resort, not the first.

Drilling does have its place, and it is worth being fair about that so you can tell a legitimate case from a scam. Occasionally a lock is genuinely beyond non-destructive entry, because it has failed internally, seized solid, or is a high-security type that resists manipulation by design. In those cases drilling is the correct answer, and an honest locksmith will explain clearly why non-destructive entry will not work before starting, and what it will mean for replacement. The difference between honest drilling and the rogue kind is transparency. One is explained and justified; the other appears immediately and quietly turns a simple job into an expensive one.

Price is where people feel most vulnerable, so it helps to know how honest pricing is structured. A straightforward, transparent locksmith gives you a clear idea of the cost before they travel, usually a call-out or labour charge plus the price of any parts genuinely needed. The figure should be given up front and should not transform once they are on your doorstep and you are committed. What you are paying for is skill and speed and the tools to get you in without damage, and a fair price reflects that honestly. Vagueness about cost before arrival is the warning sign, because a locksmith who will not commit to a number on the phone often has a reason.

The classic overcharging scam follows a script, and recognising it is your best defence against it. It starts with a suspiciously low price on the phone, low enough to win the job over more honest competitors. Then, once the locksmith is at your door and you feel committed, the job mysteriously becomes complicated. The lock supposedly has to be drilled, parts have to be replaced, and the final bill bears no relation to the quote. National reporting has repeatedly exposed exactly this bait-and-switch pattern. The tell is the gap between the phone price and the doorstep price, and the pressure applied to make you accept it before you can think.

You keep far more power in that moment than the situation makes you feel, and it is worth remembering. You are entitled to ask for the full price before any work begins, to ask why a lock needs drilling when non-destructive entry is usual, and to decline and call someone else if the answers do not satisfy you. A locksmith knowing where you live can feel like a hold over you, but it does not remove your right to refuse an unfair charge. Slowing down, asking direct questions, and being willing to walk away are exactly the behaviours a rogue operator is counting on you being too flustered to attempt.

The best protection, though, is arranged before you ever need it, and it costs nothing to set up. Spend ten minutes now, while nothing is wrong, finding a reputable local locksmith. Check that they are accredited and insured, look for a genuine local presence rather than an anonymous national number, and save their contact somewhere you can reach it even when locked out of the house, in your phone or with a trusted neighbour. When the lockout comes, and eventually it will, you make one call to someone you already trust instead of gambling on the fastest-appearing result in a panicked search.

A lockout is genuinely one of the more solvable emergencies life throws at you, provided you are not exploited while it is happening. The normal course of events is quick, non-destructive, fairly priced and over within the hour. The scam version depends entirely on catching you unprepared, uninformed and rushed. Knowing that non-destructive entry is the norm, that drilling should be explained rather than sprung on you, and that the price should be clear before anyone travels, strips the scam of its power. Line up an accredited locksmith before you need one, and a lockout becomes what it should be: a minor annoyance, not a costly ordeal.

This article was written by

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Foreign investors‘ brief return to Indian equities appears to be losing steam, with FPIs again turning sellers in September after two months of inflows. After buying Rs 11,045 crore in July and Rs 10,231 crore in August, foreign institutional investors have resumed selling in the secondary market. NSDL data up to September 19 shows FPI outflows of Rs 23,676 crore through the exchanges.

July and August had raised hopes that foreign investors were coming back after a long selling spell earlier in the year. FIIs had sold Rs 34,152 crore in January, bought Rs 12,950 crore in February, and then sold heavily between March and June. March alone saw outflows of Rs 1.15 lakh crore, followed by Rs 71,203 crore in April, Rs 50,188 crore in May and Rs 35,174 crore in June.

That made the July-August inflows look like a possible turn in sentiment. September is now showing that the recovery was short-lived. “There are indications of FPI flows into India again turning negative after the positive flows in July and August,” Vijayakumar said.

IPO market still gets foreign money

The selling is not across the board. Foreign investors continue to show interest in India’s primary market, even as they remain cautious in the secondary market. Vijayakumar said FPI investment through the primary market stood at Rs 2,703 crore up to September 19. This has taken total FPI investment through the primary market this year to Rs 48,550 crore.

This partly explains why the IPO market has stayed active despite weak sentiment in listed equities. Large public issues, anchor books and fresh listings continue to attract foreign capital, while the broader cash market is seeing pressure.
“This partly explains the ongoing boom in the primary market despite the tepid performance of the secondary market,” Vijayakumar said.
Why FIIs are selling again
The main pressure points are global. Analysts point to higher crude prices, elevated US bond yields, geopolitical risk and currency concerns as the key reasons behind renewed foreign selling. Vijayakumar said future FPI flows will be influenced by the ongoing Iran-US conflict and its impact on crude prices. Higher crude is negative for India because it can widen the current account deficit, increase inflation pressure and weaken the rupee.

“Elevated crude prices and the high US bond yields, with the US 10-year yield at 5%, are the negatives for Indian equity market and FPI flows,” he said.

Dheeraj Gaur, Chief Investment Strategy Officer at Choice Wealth, said foreign investors are still avoiding the secondary market, even though they remain active in IPOs and fresh listings.

“The big story is FPIs still don’t want much to do with the secondary market, but they can’t seem to get enough of IPOs and fresh listings,” he said.

He added that the debt side has also worsened because of rising global yields, expensive oil and fresh worries around the rupee.

Selling pressure visible in cash market
The recent cash-market numbers show the pressure clearly. Gaur said FPIs sold Rs 3,106 crore, Rs 588 crore and Rs 3,164 crore in the cash market between September 15 and 17. They bought Rs 600 crore on Friday, but that was not enough to offset the damage.

For the week, FPIs were net sellers by Rs 6,258 crore on provisional numbers. Depository data showed outflows of about Rs 7,835 crore over four days.

“So, even with Friday’s little rebound, the final numbers make it clear there’s no real turnaround yet. We need to see more green days before calling this anything other than a tough stretch,” Gaur said.

DIIs cushion the fall
Domestic institutional investors have continued to absorb part of the selling pressure. Pabitro Mukherjee, Deputy Vice President-Research at Bajaj Broking, said FIIs remained net sellers for the fifth straight week, offloading Rs 7,620 crore. DIIs extended their buying streak with net purchases of Rs 11,232 crore, helping the index recover from mid-week lows.

Month-to-date, FIIs have sold Rs 7,041 crore against DII buying of Rs 36,219 crore. During this period, the Nifty is down 3% from its August-end close of 24,080.

Over the past month, FIIs have been net sellers in all five weeks, while DIIs have remained buyers throughout. This domestic support has limited the market fall but has not fully removed the pressure from foreign selling.

Markets may stay volatile
Analysts expect volatility to continue as long as crude oil and US bond yields remain high. The market will also track the Iran-US conflict, rupee movement, Brent crude prices and upcoming PMI data in the US and India.

The positive side is that India’s economy remains resilient and earnings growth is expected to improve. Vijayakumar said these factors are still supportive for Indian equities.

Disclosure: This article has been written by Podishetti Akash, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Podishetti Akash and her ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclosures here.

‘They still focus on price’

A Frontier Airlines airplane taxis past a Spirit Airlines aircraft at Indianapolis International Airport in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images

All roads lead to Tempe

Franke’s legacy extends beyond the low-cost model. Many of the leaders of the modern U.S. airline industry can trace their roots back to Franke and to Tempe, Arizona, where America West — which through mega-mergers evolved into modern-day American Airlines — was based.

Franke, who had studied and practiced law, got into the airline business more than 30 years ago. The then governor of Arizona tapped him to save America West when it was mired in bankruptcy in the early 1990s and he became chief executive in 1993.

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His proteges include American Airlines CEO Robert Isom; Isom’s predecessor, former American Chief Executive Doug Parker; and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby.

Read more about Bill Franke’s alumni