Car Locksmiths and Keys For Used Cars
If you are in the market for a used car, one of the things you may not think about until the very last minute -
when you're ready to drive off the lot - is how many keys the car dealer gives you. People are starting to
come forward with stories of car dealers only giving out one key when they sell a used car. If you want an
extra, you will pay a dealer price for it, and with transponder keys that can amount to several hundred
dollars.
When negotiating a price for your car, always insist that they give you both (or more) keys. There is simply
no reason for them not to. Car dealers may insist that they have to keep a key in case of repossession, but
that is not true. They want to sell you that second key to increase their profits. Not all car dealers do this, so
you're encouraged to shop around to find one that doesn't.
However many keys you receive when you buy a used car, it is a good idea to find a reputable car locksmith
and have an extra set of keys made. Leave these keys with someone trustworthy who is easily reachable.
That way if you are out somewhere and lose your car keys you can avoid having to make an emergency call
to a locksmith. Any Chicago area car locksmith who services car locks can do this job, at a fraction of the
cost charged by the dealer.
You have a lot to take care of when you buy a car, including paying the taxes, buying insurance, and getting
it registered. While you're busy taking care of those things, why not find a good locksmith and have a set of
keys made? You may never need that extra set of keys, but by finding a good automotive locksmith, you can
save yourself or your loved ones quite a bit of hassle should you ever have to deal with lost car keys.
Often, people think they will never lose their keys, and when they do, they may look for a locksmith just on
the basis of yellow pages ads or a search function on their smart phone. But doing this can put you in the
hands of a dishonest locksmith who gouges prices for people who are in vulnerable situations. If you have
the number of a good locksmith programmed into your phone (and your loved ones' phones) you can
prevent this problem.
Car dealers may tell you that if you lose your keys they are the only ones who can replace them, but that is
not true. Making duplicate keys carries a high profit margin for car dealers, so they would certainly prefer
you go to them for replacements. A reputable locksmith can duplicate the keys of virtually any car on the
road today, and they will often be able to do it for less than $100, versus $300 and up charged by dealers.
And the keys cut by locksmiths are often cut to much stricter tolerances than the keys cut by car dealers.
Locksmiths have access to the hardware and software needed to program today's transponder keys, and they
can often get to you much quicker than your car dealer can.
used car dealers