I made a flip fob today!

[onesickhotrod]

Originally Posted by Fisch

Ugh. Just got back from the stealership. Here comes a rant.....

I've had one key since I bought the car in '09. I bought some flip fobs a few months back after seeing this thread, but still never got around to cutting/programming them. With this thread revived, it put some fire under my butt so I decided to finally get them done today.

Went to my local dealership - which I must say has an awesome parts department that I use all of the time, but this was my first experience with the service department. And it wasn't a good experience.

I have only one good programmed and cut old-style key. I called them on the phone and told them that I will be bringing in my old key, as well as two new flip keys and a one transponder key. I needed all three cut and two programmed (planning on just swapping the guts for the third one). They tell me it's $48 to program, regardless of how many keys, and that they will cut them for free.

So I get there and they act like this flip key is something they have never seen. So whatever dude, just cut the damn keys. I pull my car right in with no wait and nobody in the waiting lobby. The guy tells me it will be about 45 minutes. Really??? He says it takes quite awhile to program. BS. But whatever, I had some work to do anyways so I sit in the waiting lobby.

Hour goes by, so I walk back there - he tells me it's still programming. Yeah right. Another half hour goes by and he finally comes out to say... "we have a small problem". Oh great.

One of the keys was cut too deeply and will not work. He starts telling me that it looks to be a defective key because it has a little bit of play to it and it must have slipped in the machine. Again - BS. All of these flip keys have a little bit of play to them - they actually move laterally a little bit when flipping open. I showed him this and he had nothing to say. Especially since the other one was cut perfectly and it had the same amount of play. Besides, they should be taking the key out of the fob to cut it anyways.

So anyways, I actually had yet another flip fob in my car (accidentally ordered too many - would have sold my extra to one of you guys, but....). So I give him the other key to cut - this time no problems and the key works well.

After 2 hours and 15 minutes at the stealership, he is finally ready to check me out and wants $70 something. Huh? What happened to $48? He said they charge $5 per key for cutting. Still - huh? And get this - he was charging for 4 key cuts!! Ok, so first off - you said key cuts were free on the phone. Second, if they aren't, then I'm only paying for 3 key cuts - you screwed up the 3rd cut, which required a 4th key to be cut. And finally, you just ruined one of my new fobs - so I want the $18 that I paid to be given to me... or another uncut flip fob if they have them in stock.

Long story short, the guy wouldn't budge. What a prick. He ended up taking $5 off for the 4th key cut, but refused to refund me any money for screwing up one of my keys... sticking to his story that I should contact the key seller to say it's defective - even though he successfully cut two other flip fob keys that are exactly the same!!!

Pisses me off. So I just finally paid the dbag and left. I'll return to their parts department, but never again to their service department. I never take my car for service to the dealer and have heard tons of horror stories from you guys. I have a private shop that knows the LX platform well and I trust them with everything. Just amazing that my first experience with Chrysler service department is something as simple as cutting/programming keys - and they still screw it up. Sigh.



Only good news is that at least I no longer have just one key - now I have a bunch!

Damn Kyle what a mess!

[onesickhotrod]

This is what I got done today... what do you think?

[onesickhotrod]

... color matched and works damn good!

[Fisch]

Nicely done. Me likey.

Unfortunately I have a BB - so color matching something that is black isn't as much fun.

[darkstarsinner]

Man you guys are almost making me wish I had a conventional key!!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using AutoGuide.Com Free App

[CJ7VFR]

Originally Posted by Fisch

So I get there and they act like this flip key is something they have never seen. So whatever dude, just cut the damn keys.

"we have a small problem". Oh great.

One of the keys was cut too deeply and will not work. He starts telling me that it looks to be a defective key because it has a little bit of play to it and it must have slipped in the machine.

And finally, you just ruined one of my new fobs - so I want the $18 that I paid to be given to me... or another uncut flip fob if they have them in stock.

Long story short, the guy wouldn't budge. What a prick. He ended up taking $5 off for the 4th key cut, but refused to refund me any money for screwing up one of my keys... sticking to his story that I should contact the key seller to say it's defective

Pisses me off. So I just finally paid the dbag and left.

What a horror story! Sorry to hear about this. And to do it to a repeat customer, who uses
their dealership for parts all the time.

I can tell you that the whole story about the flop fob having some play in it causing the cut to be too deep
and that the fob was defective is an absolute lie!

It makes absolutely NO difference if the keys have play in them or not. Why? Because the key blanks are
CLAMPED INTO THE KEY CUTTER! You have to physically clamp the good key, and the key blank that
you want to be duplicated into the key cutter. Any play in the flip portion of the the fob is irrelevent.

What this person failed to do was to make sure the depth of the cut was correct BEFORE he tried to cut
your first key.

Obviously he knew he screwed up the first key, and reset the machine for the other keys. And now he
wants YOU to pay for his mistake!

Did you pay for this with a credit or debit card? If you did, call your credit card company, and explain to them
what happened, and that you want your money back for both the flip fob that was ruined, and the cost of
the cutting of the key that was done incorrectly.

Its not YOUR fault, nor the fault of the flip fob that made the key duplicating machine wreck the key blank. It
was 100 percent operator error, and you should not have to pay for that.

It boggles my mind how places like a car dealership, or other places that have the capability to duplicate keys will
baulk at cutting these keys with the transponders on the ends. And to have the balls to say that it will
cost upwards of 50 bucks to duplicate them, or to "program" them, even though we show them that there
are no electronics inside the blank flip fob, is outragous.

If they would at least be honest, and say that they are afraid to try it, because they have never seen a
key with a flip fob, and don't want to be responsisble for damaging it, or cutting it wrong, would be nice.
Just be honest with me, and tell me the truth, instead of taking my key, and ruining it, and then blaming me,
the flip fob, the weather, the sun, the moon, the sausage you ate last night, or whatever, on your mistake.

Just admit the truth, and I can accept that. Then at least I can try to find another place to cut my key.

Fisch, like I said, if you paid with a credit or debit card, contact the card company, and explain what happened,
and maybe they will get your money back for the damaged flip fob and cost of ruining it.

Jim

[Fisch]

Thanks CJ. I've gotta admit - I agree with everything you're saying. You are spot on, my friend. But $18 is more hassle than it's worth I think. I made it abundantly clear to them that they just lost a customer over $18 and their inability to say "we screwed up" (and I made that point in front of other customers too).

The parts guy hooks me up all of the time, so next time in there for parts I'm going to share the story with him and see what he has to say about it.

[Hellojoe]

they sell ones for chrysler 300 too. (Uncut Remote Flip Folding Key Shell Case for Chrysler Dodge Jeep 3 Buttons Panic | eBay)

[CJ7VFR]

Originally Posted by Fisch

Thanks CJ. I've gotta admit - I agree with everything you're saying. You are spot on, my friend. But $18 is more hassle than it's worth I think. I made it abundantly clear to them that they just lost a customer over $18 and their inability to say "we screwed up" (and I made that point in front of other customers too).

I would call your card company even if it is only $22.00 bucks ($18.00 for the flip fob and $4.00 for screwing
up the cutting of the key).

Its just a phone call that takes all of about 5 or 10 minutes.

My wife and I went out to dinner about a month ago, and she charged the dinner to her credit card.

When her credit card bill came in, she looked at the charge from the restaurant, and low and behold
they had actually billed her for $12.00 more than what the actual check was for!

We both keep our receipts to balance our bills, and when she showed this to me, I could not believe it.
It was only $12.00, but she was pissed that they could actually bill her for MORE than the actual amount on the check.

She called up her credit card company, they asked her a few questions, and said they would reverse
the $12.00 charge, and she would see the credit on her next bill. The whole phone call
only took about 10 minutes.

Its worth it to put a stop to people ripping others off. Think of it this way. YOU worked for that $22.00.
YOU earned that money, not them. That money is YOUR money, and they just took it from you.

That guy who ruined your flop fob stole your money, and you should NOT let him do that. You have to take it back,
and show them that this type of thing will not be tolerated, and that any business that does this type of thing
will be called out.

Imagine if they do this to just one out of every 100 people who come into the dealership. That could
add up to thousands of dollars over the course of a year.

Its not fair, and should never, ever be tolerated.

Jim

[JTSRT8]

How did I miss this??? I HATE the damn fob/key combo. Ordered the flip case.