The Spare Key: Do You Really Need It?
You might think of having a spare car key as a luxury but not a necessity. After all, you might think, you can’t remember the last time that you got locked out of your car or lost your key. Sure, you might lose your key in the sense that you can’t remember where you left it, but you always end up finding it. You may think that you don’t want to pay a car locksmith for a new key unless you absolutely have to in the event of an emergency.
But, in Arizona, being locked out of your car in Gilbert for even a short time can be an emergency. The temperatures can reach dangerous levels during the summer, and you can’t afford to wait for mobile car key making in the hot sun. But that’s just one reason why you need to have a spare on hand. Here are a few more reasons you should invest in a spare before an emergency arises:
Protect Your Car
If you get locked out of your car, you might not have a lot of time to wait around for a car locksmith. Maybe you have to urgently be at the hospital or you have a career-making meeting to get to. Or maybe you are just stranded somewhere that’s too far out of the way for a mobile locksmith. Your only option may be to break a window to get into your car.
Having a spare key on hand can save you the cost of a new window or a new door lock, which can be considerable. You’ll certainly spend less on the spare key than you do on any potential car repairs.
Save Time
Even the best Gilbert car locksmiths are going to take a little time to get to you, and every minute you wait locked out of your car is going to feel like eternity. If you are locked out at the peak of summer, you’ll be sweating profusely within minutes. If you have a health condition, any kind of wait in the extreme heat can actually be dangerous.
Waiting can also cost you in other terms. If you are late for work, you could lose some of your pay or get in hot water with the boss. If you are on your way to a first date, you could make a terrible impression by being late (and maybe even showing up sweaty).
If you invest in a spare key, you can avoid such scenarios. You can just reach into your wallet or your bag and open your car in seconds.
Save Money
Calling in a car locksmith isn’t cheap, but it is sometimes necessary. If you wait until you have an emergency to get a locksmith in Gilbert to cut you a new key, you are going to have to pay the extra cost of having the person come to your location and to provide emergency service. In contrast, if you get the key made ahead of time, you can go into the store and pay for just the cost of the key.
Planning ahead also gives you the option of shopping around so that you can get the very best price on your new key. Some modern keys can cost hundreds of dollars to replace, so it is worth it to spend some time looking for the best deal.
Makes Getting a Spare Easier
There are a lot of reasons you might need a spare car key besides getting locked out of your car. You might lose your key altogether, or it might become damaged or even break off in the lock. If you don’t already have a spare key available, the locksmith will have to look up the vehicle information to cut a new key from scratch.
If you already have a spare key, you can use that to have a replacement copy made easily. The spare will be used as the template to cut the new key.
Makes Customization Easier
Some cars allow you to customize certain settings in the car, such as the top speed it can drive or how loud the radio can be turned up. These features are especially useful for teen drivers, who need limitations when they drive to remain safe.
If you use your programmable key to set some of these customizations, you will have to reprogram it every time someone new drives the car. If you have a spare key (or two), you can just give each person their own key with its unique settings.
Add to the Resale Value of the Car
Programmable keys and fobs are not cheap. If you have two of them when you sell your car or trade it in, you are likely to be given a better value. The difference may not be much, but if you add the benefit to all the other benefits of having a spare key, the value adds up significantly.
There are too many reasons to have a spare car key to go without one. Just having the spare on hand to save you from the expense and hassle of getting locked out of your car is enough.
U.S. Key Service offers mobile car key making for all makes and models of vehicles in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Our mobile locksmiths are available 24/7 for emergency service. In addition, we offer basic services like duplicating foreign keys, repairing door locks and ignitions, programming transponder keys, and more. Call us today to get a spare key made and to be ready for any emergency.
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