Did You Lose Your Keys? Call Us for Help!

Losing your keys can be a bit of an embarrassing experience, whether it’s your house or car keys. But it happens to the best of us. Keys are small and can easily slip out of pockets or purses, which means you could end up next to your front door or car searching for keys that actually got lost elsewhere.

You may be wondering, “Can I get a new car key made without the original?” Here’s a quick overview of what you should do if you lose your keys in Toledo, OH.

House keys

If you have homeowners insurance, you can call up the company and ask if your policy covers locksmith services and the cost of replacing keys or locks. If so, the company will cover the expenses and can even recommend a specialist who can come out and help you. If not, you might have to explore other options.

Replacing a door key is a relatively simple process, although if you have anti-theft locks it can be a bit more difficult and expensive. You might need to change the locks altogether, especially if, along with your keys, you lost your identification and anything else that could lead people to your home. This is also an issue if you have only one key and won’t be able to make a copy from it.

It’s a good idea to keep an extra key hidden somewhere on your property, or with a trusted neighbor, friend or relative. This way, in the event of a lockout, you at least have a backup that can get you inside until you are able to make an appointment with a locksmith to change your locks or get new keys.

Car keys

You’ll need to provide the locksmith with the make, model and year of production of your vehicle, as well as the VIN, which you can find on the driver’s side dashboard (through the window), on a rear wheel well or on the vehicle’s frame between the windshield washer and carburetor. The VIN should also be in your insurance policy if you can’t find it anywhere on the vehicle itself.

Call your auto insurance company first, as you might be able to claim the cost of a replacement key and locksmith on your policy. If you own an older vehicle, you just need a valet key to be able to get inside. However, for newer cars, you’ll need to make a copy of the key, which can be expensive to make depending on the vehicle. This is especially true for vehicles that have keyless entry, where there are small wireless transmitters and computer chips inside.

You’ll likely need to head to the dealership to confirm you’re the owner of the vehicle, and your car will have to be reprogrammed not to work with the key you lost. This means if anyone else in your family had the same key, they’ll also need a new one.

If you find yourself asking, “Where can I get a car key made?” we can help. For more information about what to do if you’re locked out of your home or car, we encourage you to contact a professional locksmith in Toledo, OH at Toledo Lock & Key LLC.

Categorised in: Key Replacement, Locksmith

This post was written by Writer