When people ring me for a quote on replacing a lost key for their vehicle, they are sometimes surprised by my cost. They have had a quote from somewhere else that is much cheaper and if I don’t get my reasons in quick enough, I can lose the business.

So why are some much cheaper? It is because they are offering a cloning service as the first option. Cloning is where you take one key, read the information it contains and make an exact duplicate. You now have two keys, but the computer on your car thinks those two keys are the same one. But what about that missing key? Who has it and is there a possibility they could use it to easily steal your vehicle? So yes, cloning is cheaper, but it always leaves an opening for someone else to help themselves to your property.

When I produce a second key for you, I plug my equipment into your vehicle and have a chat with your on board computer. I tell that computer that the key you have and the new one I am producing, are the only keys that are allowed to start the vehicle. So while I can’t stop the missing key opening a door, I can stop it being able to drive the vehicle away. My key and the cloned key look exactly alike. But new keys are more secure and therefore, my first option. I can be as cheap as the next guy, but I’m putting your security above my easy quick buck (cloning is significantly faster than new key production). So if you are ring around for quotes, don’t automatically assume the more expensive quote is someone trying to extort money from you. If you ask why they are more expensive, there is usually a good reason.
Here is an example: I had a potential customer with a Ford vehicle and no keys at all. When I quoted, she was shocked at my price. I explained that you cannot just programme one new key into a Ford, but their particular set up wipes all memory of previous keys and starts from scratch requiring you to have two new keys created. I had to quote for two keys in this case. But a cheaper person was quoting for just one key. So while there is a work around of the two key requirement, how likely was it that this other locksmith was quoting low with the knowledge he could ‘spring’ the two key requirement on her once he had the vehicle and was in the middle of the job. Most people will accept the change once the trader is there and working, It’s what is often done to avoid a fuss.
I will always give you a fair price for any work I carry out, backed up with guarantees. I will always stick to my quoted price unless you make additional requirements, at which point I will tell you exactly how much more those additions will cost. I will always explain my pricing in a way you can understand.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please get in touch via any of the methods on my contacts page.
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