Losing your keys is every motorist’s nightmare. Replacing them can be a tedious and expensive process. It is imperative to opt for the right reflexes to avoid making the situation worse.
The general rule in terms of insurance is that no car contract supports the replacement of lost keys. The renewal of your car key will always be at your expense.
Declaration of loss or theft
You have lost your keys? The first instinct should be to go to the nearest gendarmerie or police station to make a declaration of loss or theft.
This rapid procedure allows the issuance of a certificate . This certificate may be requested by your insurer, your garage or even serve as proof in the event of theft of the vehicle without breaking and entering.
- A situation in which it is always very difficult to prove one’s good faith.
- The insurance will not cover the replacement costs…
- The general rule in terms of insurance is that no auto contract supports the replacement of lost keys .
- The renewal of your car key will always be at your expense .
- Do not count on coverage by your housing contract either, it never covers what concerns the car.
- But your insurance can help you out.
Depending on your insurance contract and its guarantees, you may have a possibility of breakdown assistance.
The assistance of your car contract can thus take charge of the repair of your car to the nearest garage, or the dealer of the brand capable of changing the keys.
This same guarantee may, depending on the insurance companies, ensure repatriation to your home or offer you a loan vehicle while the keys are redone.
This is an option that can be useful when staying abroad, for example.
How does a car key work?
Car keys have nothing in common with those that secure your home.
Today, your key self is to be able to communicate with your brain self. This key is encrypted, equipped with security systems with a crypto transponder.
These complications prevent theft, and also allow the engine to be started, the doors to be opened, and even now the trunk to be opened alone or the driver’s door alone.
These sophistications make your car more secure but also make it harder to make a new key.
Where to change your keys and at what price?
On an old car : Duplicating a key that you have twice may only take a minute at a locksmith.
A responsible locksmith will ask you to present something to identify you and the vehicle. As a general rule, in the event of total loss of the keys, it will be easier to have new keys made by a professional.
On a modern car : Only car dealers displaying your car’s brand panel are authorized to provide you with a new key, as well as certain specialists.
It will be necessary for that to present him the gray card of the vehicle and what to prove the identity of the owner. The delay can reach 15 days, after which you will have to re-encode your key
