Locksmith Van Nuys
I was traveling around Los Angeles one weekend and decided to stop off at the beach. When I went to leave hours later, I suffered an unfortunate incident- my car key snapped from inside the lock. Having never had this happen to me, I wasn’t really aware of how to cope with or deal with the situation. I found myself in a bit of a panic to be honest. First I called my car dealer who quoted me a ridiculous price and said that I needed to be towed to them, so that wasn’t going to work for me. Though about getting a tow back to my apt but then I realized that I didn’t have a spare key either.
After struggling a bit I called a friend and they recommend that I call a locksmith. So I searched online for a local locksmith company. I was surprised at how many I found, I called a few that were just shops so they couldn’t come to my location and then I found a several 24 hour mobile locksmith providers. Given that it was already 9pm and I needed someone to come to my location a mobile locksmith was my best option.
I called around and got a few different prices, some could help me straight away others the next day. So I asked a few questions and went with the company that I felt most at ease with and whom sounded reliable. The locksmith company that I used were very obliging, I called the number on the website and immediately spoke to a helpful dispatcher. I gave them my contact details, location and the make and model of my vehicle. The next step I received a call from the locksmith to let me know they were on their way within 25 minutes the locksmith had arrived.
The locksmith provided me with identification which immediately made me feel comfortable. They locksmith also ask for my identification etc. Shortly after that the locksmith got to work and was able to remove the key really quickly. Since I was now keyless I needed a new key, my car is newer so I needed a transponder chip key which then had to be programmed so that it could work in the ignition as well.
The whole process didn’t take up too much time, I guess I was lucky in finding an efficient locksmith who worked very quickly and was reasonably priced. But I have heard of some horror stories of people waiting hours for a locksmith to show up and then costing the earth to fix the problem. So having experienced this first hand I would make sure you take your time in selecting the right locksmith for you. Make sure they are licensed, insured and fully bonded. Ask for estimated time of arrival before confirming and make sure you are clearly understanding the pricing you have been given. Double check that they have the equipment and ability to reprogram and can provide the right key for your vehicle.