Today’s the day! That big meeting – important appointment – time sensitive errand and *bang.* Without realizing what just happened, your keys are now locked inside your car. So what do you do? No need to panic. We’ll help walk you through the best way to handle an auto-lock out.
How Common are Auto Lock Outs?
On average, AAA (Triple A) handles more than 4 million auto-lock outs per year, and that’s just one company. This means the actual number of automobile lock outs per year is much, much, higher. That equates to just shy of 11,000 reports per day. Now while AAA may be able to help you get back into your car, they probably aren’t the best, or most efficient, person to call when you find yourself in this situation. Locksmiths tend to handle situations like this much more often. In fact, auto-locksmith services are usually one of the most popular, and requested services that a locksmith offers.
Now there are two main issues that would require the use of an auto-locksmith. The first is that you’ve broken, or damaged, your car key beyond repair. The second is that your perfectly working key is now trapped inside your locked car. So what are you options when this happens? Well you might be thinking that you’ll just call a tow, and tow your car to the dealership. This way, they can help you get into your car and then make you a brand new set of working keys. But this isn’t actually the best choice for cost, or efficiency, reasons.
The Real Cost of Calling a Tow.
The average automobile tow costs over $100 for a short distance, meaning something under 10 miles. (And some companies define “short distance” as less than 4 miles!) Most towing companies will have a flat “hook-up rate” of $50, and then increase the cost per mile, which means you could be looking at several hundreds of dollars depending on how far away you expect the tow to go. You also have to remember that towing companies usually have ranges, or regions, which means there is a maximum distance they will take you. This could leave you stuck, especially if the dealership is far away from where you are. But even if you get the tow to the dealership, you have to add in the cost to replace the key once you’re there. Most fob keys can run over $200 at the dealership. Factor this into what you paid for your tow, and you’re looking at a very expensive day.
Now the above mentioned very expensive day has probably also turned into a very long one as well. Living in a big city like Houston means that traffic is anywhere and everywhere you need to be. The average tow takes at least 50 minutes, and that figure isn’t accounting for traffic or standard delays. So you’ll likely be waiting for over an hour for the tow to arrive, then to hook you up, tow you away, and get to you to the dealership. However, towing will only get you from point A to point B. It doesn’t actually get you back into your car. Plus, most dealerships run semi-regular business hours, which means you could spend all that time and money to arrive at a shop that’s closed until the next morning.
A Mobile Locksmith Will Save You Time and Money.
This is why calling a local mobile locksmith is actually the absolute best option. Locksmiths are skilled and insured professionals who are trained to get you back into your car quickly. They have the skills to not only help you get back into your car, but also to make a key replacement on the spot! This means that you’ll only need to get one service, which means one bill. Not only will this save you hundreds of dollars, but most likely hours of invaluable time!
Houston Safe and Lock has been in business for over 98 years! Our just shy of a century of experience has helped us develop systems to be as skilled and efficient as possible. All of our locksmiths are licensed, bonded and insured, which gives you the peace of mind that you can trust the work, and worker. Each one has been trained to evaluate the situation and come up with the best plan to get you back in your car. We offer free estimates by calling (713) 489-1336, and our technicians are always ready to help you, no matter what time of day. You can’t predict when an emergency will happen, which is why we’re happy to offer our 24/7 locksmith services anywhere within a 50 mile radius of Houston. We offer 100% in-house staffing, which means we’re not taking your call and sending someone else. We do not use any third party contracting which means you can trust what we discuss. We won’t use any “bait-and-swtich” pricing which is, unfortunately, quite common. We will provide you a detailed estimate on the phone and get to work. We are also skilled at replacing even the most complicated car keys on site, including fobs, so do not be afraid to ask!
As you can see, calling an auto locksmith will absolutely safe you time and money. Instead of the expensive price tag and hassle of a tow, and the dealership key fees, this rolls everything up into one. This makes it the most cost, and time, efficient option. And you know what they say; “Time is money.”
So while we all hope that this unfortunate event doesn’t happen to us, it’s always good to be prepared. Accidents happen, and Houston Safe and Lock will make this stressful event as simple, and painless, as possible.