Why a spare costs less than you think
The expensive part is the visit and the first programming, not the key.
Read it
Why a spare costs less than you think
Locked out right now? We keep evening and weekend slots free for emergencies. Call 0115 960 4128
Keys · 4 minute read
Main dealer
Main dealer
or locksmith?
Sometimes a main dealer is the right answer. More often it is the expensive one. The difference is usually decided before anyone touches the car.
In short
DealerNeeds the car brought to them
LocksmithComes to the car
Dealer-onlyA few very new premium systems
Tells youYour registration
A dealer’s key is not wildly dearer than ours. What makes the bill is getting a car with no key to the dealer, and waiting for a key to be ordered.
Where the dealer cost comes from
- Recovery to the dealership, because the car cannot be driven.
- A wait for a workshop slot.
- A key ordered from the manufacturer against the VIN.
- The key itself, and the programming.
When the dealer is right
A small number of very new premium systems are genuinely dealer-only; the manufacturer does not release what anyone else needs to program them.
How to find out
Your registration tells us whether your car is one of them. We say so on the phone, before anyone travels.
For everything else
We cut the key from the lock and program it with the same class of equipment a dealer uses, at the roadside. No tow, no order, and the car is driven the same afternoon. The replacement keys page sets out what is included.
The one question to ask
Whoever you ring, ask whether the car needs to go to them. If it does, add the recovery to the price before comparing.
Three more worth reading
The key light is flashing and it will not start
Usually the immobiliser, not the key, and often a cheaper fix.
Read it
Locked your keys in the car? Do this first
What to check before you ring anyone, and the two things that make it worse.
Read itIf reading has not fixed it
The vans cover the whole patch at the same price, seven days, until nine at night.
Dispatch
Open now · until 21:00 tonight
Call the van
Unit
Unit 7, Blenheim Court, Blenheim Industrial Estate, Bulwell, Nottingham, NG6 8UP
Hours
Mon–Sat 07:00–21:00
Sunday 09:00–18:00
Sunday 09:00–18:00
Easier to ask?
Ring and describe what the car is doing. Two questions usually settles it.
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