Locksmiths vs Dealerships — When Two Car Key Replacement Juggernauts Collide

Losing your car keys is somewhat of a nightmare. The frustration coupled with the feeling of guilt.

When people lose their car keys, they usually call either their dealership or their automobile locksmith to get a replacement made as soon as possible. People let their personal preference dictate the matter and don’t really think too much about their decision.

To help people make a more educated decision, we’ve compiled a short list of pros of both automobile locksmiths and dealerships. Make sure to read to the very end to better understand the scenario and then pick an option that appeals to you most.

Pros of Calling a Dealership

When your experience car troubles, what place can be better equipped to tackle your problems than the dealership that sold you the car in the first place! People generally assume that as the dealership had the car on its lot for a long time so they’re more likely to be aware of any potential problems that might affect them in the future.

Here are the main reasons why people prefer calling their dealership when they lose or misplace their car keys.

1. Coverage Might Be Offered

Depending on the dealership you bought your car from, you can significantly reduce the overall bill. Some dealerships in the United States offer a free key recovery service which means that you won’t have to pay dime to get a new set of car keys, while others ask you to pay just the towing fees which further reduces the bill. A number of dealerships in the United States also keep a duplicate key of every car they sell which means you can just request them to deliver their copy to your doorstep!

That being said, the dealerships that cooperate with their customers in this regard are few and far in between, so don’t get your hopes up. Get in touch with your dealership to learn more about the coverage they offer so that you can be better prepared in case of an emergency!

2. Results Guaranteed

The best thing about contacting your local dealership in case of an emergency is that they guarantee you results.

They may take longer and charge you more, but when you ask your dealership to handle the problem, they do all in their power to help you out.

On the other hand, some automobile locksmiths (because of their inexperience in the business) might make matters worse for you. The duplicate key that they craft for you might be substandard and brittle and can break when you put it in the lock which will only add to your troubles!

Pros of Calling an Automotive Locksmith

Automobile locksmiths have been helping drivers and car owners out for a very long time. Not only are they really good at their job, they’re often faster on the scene than your average dealership. Here are a few reasons why you should opt for an automobile locksmith the next time you’re locked in or out of your car.

1. No Cost of Towing

The best thing about automobile locksmiths is that they don’t have to tow your vehicle; they solve your problem on the spot. An experienced locksmith can either engineer a solution to your locked car problem then and there, or they can fabricate a key for you in little to no time!

Furthermore, if numbers posted by Angie’s List are to be believed, then towing is an option that not everybody can afford. The national average for a car tow is believed to be around 109 USD. On top of the basic tow fees, car owners and drivers are expected to pay a bare minimum of 3.50 dollars per mile. This means if you’re locked out of your car when you’re visiting another city, you could pay up to 200 to 300 dollars just to get it to the dealership that sold you the vehicle!

2. Cheaper Option

Speaking of numbers, automobile locksmiths charge a fraction of the standard dealership rate. This has to do with different factors like they don’t charge you for a new ECU (like most dealerships do). Furthermore, as they’re not relocating your vehicle, you’re not required to pay any towing fee, which makes them a much more affordable option.

With cars that have laser cut keys, dealerships have to place an order for a new set of keys to the manufacturer of the car and end up installing a new barrel, which further raises the cost of their services and you might have to wait on the replacements to arrive for a few days! Automobile locksmiths, on the other hand, get around this problem by simply recoding the barrel which is much cheaper and economical.

Because of these factors, (and a few others) the difference in fees between an automobile locksmith and a dealership isn’t just significant, it’s astronomical!

3. Automotive Locksmiths Are Faster

Automobile locksmiths are much quicker on the scene than your average dealership. As most people who find themselves locked out of their cars very quickly find out that time is a luxury that they can’t afford, automobile locksmiths appear to be a much more sensible option than dealerships.

Moreover, you can further speed up the process by informing the locksmith of the model and maker of your car. This narrows down the possibilities, and the locksmith comes in better prepared to tackle your specific problem. As a result, some automobile locksmiths can make new car keys in less than 30 minutes!

4. No Complications

Another reason why people prefer going to their automobile locksmith than to their dealership is because there are no complications whatsoever. All you need to do is to call your locksmith and inform them of the car manufacturer, make, model number and they will have all the information they need to solve your problems.

On the other hand, dealing with a dealership is much more complicated. Every dealership has its own standard operating procedure in these cases which means that you need to read up on the operating policy of the dealership you bought the car from and follow it to the letter. If you don’t, the dealership reserves the right to deny you service!

The Final Verdict

Now that we’ve discussed the advantages of each option, it’s very easy to see which of the two you should opt for in case of emergencies. Any way you look at it, automobile locksmiths trump dealerships as they’re faster, cheaper, come better prepared, and achieve the same result!

That being said, you should always opt for an experienced automobile locksmith as an inexperienced one can make matters worse for you! If you’re looking for an experienced automobile locksmith in New York City then look no further than New York Locksmiths Network. We’ve been in the business for 22 years and can solve all your automobile problems. Moreover, we also offer 24 hour emergency locksmith in Brooklyn and Queens and are always just a phone call away!

So if you ever find yourself locked in or out of your car, give us call! We promise to make your car problems go away!