"I've Locked My Keys In The Car"

Perhaps the most common cattle call I have heard in the last 25 years in this business. I receive probably 10-15 calls per week from people requesting access to their Car Keys, because they inadvertently locked them in the car.

Most, if not all, cars are fairly simple to get into, yet it is astounding as to the rediculous charges some companies command for gaining entry.

Just today, one customer commented on how prices vary between companies. I handled the call quickly as it was near my workshop and the customer was in his car within 20 minutes of calling me for $45.00. He mentioned that he did some price shopping first and found prices ranging from $30 to $140. He was also aware of the recently publicized scams that have been in the news about phony locksmiths ripping off the unsuspecting public.

I have worked on cars for most of the last 25 years and have made keys to a great many different types and vintages of vehicles. More common today, you will find "Chip" keys. These keys are basically a transponder chip located inside the keyhead of many modern cars, that interact with the computer in the ignition, allowing the car to operate.

These keys are relatively expensive to duplicate because they require special keyblanks and machinery to reproduce. It was once thought that car dealers were the only ones who could make these keys but the truth is, there are a few locksmiths who are also equipped to handle these requests.

Locks210.com does NOT provide duplicate Transponder keys (CHIP KEYS) nor can we provide originals. Our reasoning is simple. The cost for purchasing the suitable machinery for being able to make keys to the wide variety of vehicles on the road today is far too high, when you consider software updates, keyblank changes and the low demand for this type of work in the greater St Louis region. Combine this with the fact that many modern vehicles are using keyless remotes and that the technology is actually moving away from mechanical keys, we determined that there is insufficient call to make this a worthwile product offering especially when the prices we would need to charge would be incredibly high to cover costs alone.

We are happy to recommend other locksmith companies who have invested in such equipment.

Locks210.com still only charges $45.00* to open your car. We dont believe in fleecing our clients.