Originally Posted by
lovetotravel123
Oh yes, and when I got my baggage off the carousel in Rome - surprise surprise. Lock removed. I did a quick check but everything seemed to be in order except in a mess and riffled through. Was so tired didnt even bother to report it as nothing seemed to have been taken.
That was most probably customs at some point, and they have the full right to do so. Having a (non-TSA-approved?) lock only makes your luggage more suspicious - and it won't stop a potential thief anyway.
If you're worried, just tie a short string around the zip or lock, that can be easily broken (at least you won't lose a lock), and as you pick up your bag, if it's missing, open it right there and then to assess potential damage.