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Reprogramming of spare key (VW) - who is responsible!?
My gf sold her car privately through Autotrader, and just before it was due to be picked up by the buyer, she tried the spare key that she had been give by the VW dealer when she bought the car 2 years ago - the car wouldn't start.
Not realising that the key was responsible, she phoned her local garage (who had recently done the MOT) and they came and collected the car and looked into the problem.
The spare key had not been programmed for the car and caused the non-starting as presumably a safety precaution to prevent theft.
As the buyer was still interested, she paid the local garage £180 for the keys to be reprogrammed, collection of the car, diagnostics to identify problem etc.
Who is responsible for this spare key? I think she should go back to the VW dealer with the receipt form the local garage of the work and demand they cover the cost of the key reprogramming as they shouldn't have sold her the car with a key that was not programmed.
Does this sound reasonable to forumites here? Do you think they might/should cough up?
Not realising that the key was responsible, she phoned her local garage (who had recently done the MOT) and they came and collected the car and looked into the problem.
The spare key had not been programmed for the car and caused the non-starting as presumably a safety precaution to prevent theft.
As the buyer was still interested, she paid the local garage £180 for the keys to be reprogrammed, collection of the car, diagnostics to identify problem etc.
Who is responsible for this spare key? I think she should go back to the VW dealer with the receipt form the local garage of the work and demand they cover the cost of the key reprogramming as they shouldn't have sold her the car with a key that was not programmed.
Does this sound reasonable to forumites here? Do you think they might/should cough up?
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Comments
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If she can prove its the same key they gave her she has a case for asking them to pay.
Get written confirmation it was never programmed off your garage.0 -
the receipt should have the fob serial number that should correspond to the fob purchased.
i would tak it back there with the report to say it was never programmed to start the vehicle, and have them sort it out.0 -
I dont fancy your chances after 2 yrs , sometimes keys stop workinh. ive had my car since 2006 and my key stopped working it took my OH 5 mins to reprogram it [something about turning it in the ignition then locking/unlocking the central locking.
my only issue now is i dont trust the key so i use the standard spare key.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
my key stopped working it took my OH 5 mins to reprogram it [something about turning it in the ignition then locking/unlocking the central locking
That will have been the 'remote buttons' for the door locks, not the engine immobiliser side of things.And that my son, is how to waft a towel!0 -
If she can prove its the same key they gave her she has a case for asking them to pay.
I disagree.
As the goods supplied (the key) was faulty, the supplier should be given the opportunity to rectify the fault before going to a third party, and this wasn't done here.
In effect, it's not really any different to buying a computer from PC world and after a couple of years finding out that the processor that was installed differed from the one advertised, and then only after getting the processor replaced, asking PC world to pay for it.0 -
What was the op to do?
There was an emergency here wasn't there?0 -
jimmiepreston wrote: »My gf sold her car privately through Autotrader, and just before it was due to be picked up by the buyer, she tried the spare key that she had been give by the VW dealer when she bought the car 2 years ago - the car wouldn't start.
Not realising that the key was responsible, she phoned her local garage (who had recently done the MOT) and they came and collected the car and looked into the problem.
The spare key had not been programmed for the car and caused the non-starting as presumably a safety precaution to prevent theft.
As the buyer was still interested, she paid the local garage £180 for the keys to be reprogrammed, collection of the car, diagnostics to identify problem etc.
Who is responsible for this spare key? I think she should go back to the VW dealer with the receipt form the local garage of the work and demand they cover the cost of the key reprogramming as they shouldn't have sold her the car with a key that was not programmed.
Does this sound reasonable to forumites here? Do you think they might/should cough up?
Tricky one.
I'm not sure what they will do. They might pay it, but the reality is, if she'd known and taken the key back they'd have done it for free OR if she'd used a mobile locksmith they'd have sorted it for £60 tops.
Two years is a long time.
Not sure - you could ask, but i'm not sure i'd demand. Theres fault on both sides.0 -
Have you read the circumstances?0
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