Used car with no spare key

Benzino

Hey,

I'm looking to buy a used car from the UK. The car doesn't have a spare key though. It's been sold by the car supermarket Carshop.co.uk, so it's not a private seller who is keeping it for himself etc, I genuinely think they don't have another key.

Should this be a deal breaker? Uncomfortable thinking somebody else has a key to your car, but on the other hand the car will be in another country. Would this affect my insurance in any way?

Thanks.

acronym Chilli

Benzino wrote: »

Hey,

I'm looking to buy a used car from the UK. The car doesn't have a spare key though. It's been sold by the car supermarket Carshop.co.uk, so it's not a private seller who is keeping it for himself etc, I genuinely think they don't have another key.

Should this be a deal breaker? Uncomfortable thinking somebody else has a key to your car, but on the other hand the car will be in another country. Would this affect my insurance in any way?

Thanks.

What kind of car is it, and how old?
It's seemingly not an uncommon situation with older cars. My own was like that when I bought it, and a lot of DoneDeal ads will mention "2 keys" as a highlight if they're both there.

Up to you if it's a deal-breaker. I wouldn't see it as a security issue really unless it's a high end motor (but maybe there's a scam I'm not familiar with). Never heard of it affecting insurance and was never asked about this by insurance company, it would surely only have a bearing on the theft component anyway.

It's a bit of a pain/risk only having one key (I'm always a bit nervous in case my 2 year old gets at the single key I have and "hides it" somewhere :eek:), so you can try to use it as a negotiating point. You can also get a price for a replacement key (to know what it would cost later to get a replacement, and/or to use it now as a negotiating point).

biko

I have bought and sold many cars with just one key. It's quite common for people to lose one key but not bother getting it replaced as long as they have one set left.
Then of course they lose the second key too :rolleyes:

For me this would only be an issue for a new car. It may be expensive to clone the key so you may want to price that.

Benzino

Hey, it's a 2013 VW CC. It seems a bit too new for a key to be missing, but at the same time it's a big dealer who I believe get a lot of their cars from companies so missing spare keys probably isn't that uncommon in such situations. Plus as you said, some people just lose them/kids throw them down toilets etc ha.

They say they don't haggle on price, so unlikely to get anything off the price unfortunately. I will have to ring around and price it up, but I'd imagine it won't be cheap.

Skatedude

I don't understand why no spare key would be a deal breaker? Easy to get another one if needed.

Benzino

Skatedude wrote: »

I don't understand why no spare key would be a deal breaker? Easy to get another one if needed.

More of a security thing, there is potentially somebody else out there with a key to your car. But you are correct though (sure nothing stopping the previous owner making multiple copies for himself).

tossy

If i was buying a 2013 car i'd want 2 sets of keys or i'd be asking for the price of a new one plus coding to be knocked off the price. Plenty of choiceo ut there in the make/model of car you are looking for so if the dealer refuses then just walk on.

Benzino

tossy wrote: »

If i was buying a 2013 car i'd want 2 sets of keys or i'd be asking for the price of a new one plus coding to be knocked off the price. Plenty of choiceo ut there in the make/model of car you are looking for so if the dealer refuses then just walk on.

I haven't seen many with the extra's this one has unfortunately. I am going to see if I can haggle with them, but they say they don't on their site, so I'm not expecting anything.

Henry Ford III

It's not unknown for the missing key to turn up and the car to magically disappear.

I'd want both original keys.

jimmycrackcorm

Henry Ford III wrote:

It's not unknown for the missing key to turn up and the car to magically disappear.

But if it's being imported from the UK then good luck for someone to try find where out had been re-registered here.

I've had my car with a single key for ten years. The only disadvantage is that it's over worn and needs micro switches replaced.

Benzino

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

But if it's being imported from the UK then good luck for someone to try find where out had been re-registered here.

I've had my car with a single key for ten years. The only disadvantage is that it's over worn and needs micro switches replaced.

That's my thinking on it as well. Plus, if the intention was to keep the key to steal it back, they could simply just got another copy and hand you the originals, you'd be none the wiser.

colm_mcm

Surely you can just disable the other key when you get a new one programmed in. The fact that the owner is probably in the uk and your car will now have an Irish reg would mean tracking it down would be very difficult for them.

bazz26

Skatedude wrote: »

I don't understand why no spare key would be a deal breaker? Easy to get another one if needed.

Should be easy for the seller to get it so.

OP,

That car was probably an ex fleet car where the driver never gave back the spare key with the car. Replacement keys can be expensive these days, insist on the seller either get a replacement key or reduce the selling price of the car to compensate you for the cost of replacing it yourself. If they don't agree to either then look elsewhere, there are plenty of CCs for sale in the UK that will come with 2 keys.

Benzino

Didn't know it was possible to get a key disabled. So I was in touch with them again, and this time they said there is a spare key. I'll ring them again to get a definite answer.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Its a deal breaker for me personally but not uncommon. I rejected 2 cars on the basis the spare key was missing (even though they said they'd get me a replacement key albeit one without remote locking etc) They were lovely cars and one was the colour I wanted but I couldn't get around how a car that had been so well looked after, had only one owner from new, ultra low mileage, full history blah blah blah was missing the spare key.

Kimbot

Benzino wrote: »

More of a security thing, there is potentially somebody else out there with a key to your car. But you are correct though (sure nothing stopping the previous owner making multiple copies for himself).

Yeah but if you buy a new key, when your getting it coded to the car get any of the old keys knocked off so that your the only person with keys to the car

Benzino

jonnycivic wrote: »

Yeah but if you buy a new key, when your getting it coded to the car get any of the old keys knocked off so that your the only person with keys to the car

Cheers, I honestly didn't know this was an option I can absorb the cost of a new key if be.

colm_mcm

The only bit of the key that would still work is the mechanical key you use when the battery is flat. The electronic bits wouldn't start the car once it's been knocked off. Tiny risk.

Benzino

Well they have gotten back to me and confirmed there is a spare key, so I was misinformed initially it seems.

darragh o meara

Benzino wrote: »

Well they have gotten back to me and confirmed there is a spare key, so I was misinformed initially it seems.

That's great to hear. Just an FYI, if the car did only come with one key a visit to a main dealer could resume your key to the car and delete any other keys stored on the ECU. A new VW fob comes in around the €250 with coding at main dealers or there are non main dealer lads doing them for €100 ish which if the car doesn't have keyless entry isn't a bad price. Mine unfortunately has keyless entry and required me to go to a main dealers for replacement keys and coding

Benzino

darragh o meara wrote: »

That's great to hear. Just an FYI, if the car did only come with one key a visit to a main dealer could resume your key to the car and delete any other keys stored on the ECU. A new VW fob comes in around the €250 with coding at main dealers or there are non main dealer lads doing them for €100 ish which if the car doesn't have keyless entry isn't a bad price. Mine unfortunately has keyless entry and required me to go to a main dealers for replacement keys and coding

Yeah thanks, I honestly didn't that was possible and pretty much makes missing a key a non issue (beyond the cost of a replacement of course)

darragh o meara

colm_mcm wrote: »

Surely you can just disable the other key when you get a new one programmed in. The fact that the owner is probably in the uk and your car will now have an Irish reg would mean tracking it down would be very difficult for them.

On the likes of a passat it is, still doesn't help that they have the emergency key inside the fob which would allow them to open the doors if they really wanted too, but they then have the alarm to deal with which is set to only switch off with the fob by default.

Spires

Can you pm me details of non main dealers that can give me a spare key for vw for €100. I rang vw today quoted €250 plus vat

darragh o meara

Spires wrote: »

Can you pm me details of non main dealers that can give me a spare key for vw for €100. I rang vw today quoted €250 plus vat

http://www.adverts.ie/13098300

Used them before and found them great.

Moanin

My old A4 came with one key from UK Auction house. After purchasing I phoned fleet company who owned the car prior to me and low and behold they had the spare key. They sent it to me by post!

Spires

darragh o meara wrote: »

http://www.adverts.ie/13098300

Used them before and found them great.

Thanks for info not in Dublin unfortunately:(

Spires

Moanin wrote: »

My old A4 came with one key from UK Auction house. After purchasing I phoned fleet company who owned the car prior to me and low and behold they had the spare key. They sent it to me by post!

I might look into this my car came from uk too but 15 months ago so anyone who may have had a spare key has probably gotten rid

extra-ordinary_

Can't believe this is such a big issue for some people. I've bought cars before with no keys ffs. If you want/need a second key find out how much they are and factor them into the price. As for people suggesting some sort of security vulnerability buying a car with only 1 key, seriously?
OP, you can buy virgin transponder chips and fobs off €bay. Get a locksmith to cut and someone with e.g VCDS to code your new key.

darragh o meara

Spires wrote: »

darragh o meara wrote: »

http://www.adverts.ie/13098300

Used them before and found them great.

Thanks for info not in Dublin unfortunately:(

Where you from?