Is my Mum being scammed?

littlerock

OH's remote car key broke...could still be used as manual but no electronic remote. Had to go to main dealership for replacement as it has to be programmed on their computer. From memory it cost £185. Where can you get a modern replacement electronic key for £50?

takman

Because it was done through insurance they may be replacing all the locks as well to stop the missing key being used to steal the car. It would have been a lot simpler to just take it to an independent key specialist. I have one local to me who will supply and code a new key for around £120. He keeps the car for about an hour and codes it as a new key to the ECU.

Here is a key on ebay for £69.95 which includes the blade being cut, so the most expensive part is the programming which an independent specialist can do for a good price.

Rain_Shadow

Tilt wrote: »

Not for an original remote Fiat key she couldn't. BUT she may as well of gone direct to a Fiat dealer and paid maybe £50 more an got it all sorted in about 2 days tops.

littlerock wrote: »

OH key broke...could still be used as manual but no electronic remote. Had to go to main dealership for replacement as it has to be programmed on their computer. From memory it cost £185. Where can you get a modern replacement electronic key for £50?

:cool:. .

EdGasket

littlerock wrote: »

OH key broke...could still be used as manual but no electronic remote. Had to go to main dealership for replacement as it has to be programmed on their computer. From memory it cost £185. Where can you get a modern replacement electronic key for £50?

Timpsons if you have a key to copy they can often clone it with no programming required on the car.

I bought a transponder key for my Hyundai on eBay for £12; £5 for cutting and I used the blue master key to code it to the car; total cost £17.

oldhand

Whilst I appreciate modern programmed keys make cars more difficult to steal (though not impossible) this thread made me think back to the cars I had in mid 70s onward especially fords where it was just choosing the correct size of screwdriver to start them.......
Also some of the prices being quoted for a new key now were more than I would have paid for cars then.
The price of progress...:o

27col

I can remember being outraged at being charged £5 for a replacement key for my Vauxhall Cavalier in the early 1970's

s_b

EdGasket wrote: »

Timpsons if you have a key to copy they can often clone it with no programming required on the car.

I bought a transponder key for my Hyundai on eBay for £12; £5 for cutting and I used the blue master key to code it to the car; total cost £17.

a cloned key is not a good idea especially for a fiat and timpsons wouldnt be able to do it anyway as they only have basic zedbull

konark

It's the price of these fancy keys that's the scam, when it costs over £250 for a new key it's time to give up. A spare one for my car cost £4 and I thought that was a rip-off!