M-B Views on their pricing

[Cardinal Biggles]

See my reply on the other thread.

OP's biggest gripe is the £65 for the blade .... not the whole fob. As my link, a couple of blank blades can be had on eBay for a couple of quid. The pre-cut blde for EmilysMum's Vauxhall (similar set up ie cut into the side of the key rather than the edge) was around £30)

£250 sounds ok to me for a secure key replacement process.

If it IS secure.......

Its hi-tec kit and requires special handling to get it produced and delivered to you. The blade will be a bespoke one-off item. Its not like the old days where you pooped into Halfords with a key number and got any old key for 50p. You remember how Fords had such a terrible reputation for being stolen at the time.

 

[EmilysDad]

£250 sounds ok to me for a secure key replacement process.

If it IS secure.......

Which is why MB get away with charging what they charge.

OP isn't talking about the price for the fob complete ............... it's the price of the blade that is the problem ............. and I'm sure a screw driver & Molegrips would suffice if you were that way inclined.

And you still need to prove who you are & the car's details at A N Other manufacturers dealership.

 

[Cardinal Biggles]

We believed that our customers deserved first class service and thought that our margin was sufficient to cover it.

Ah yes, Triumph.......

Now where are they today, if the margins were sufficient to cover their costs? And the idea of sending keys through the post today fills me with horror.

BMW didnt steal Triumphs markets, they found it in the gutter, and just picked it up. A crying shame - a Herald was my first ever car, and the Dolomite Sprint my unfulfilled dream......

BMW btw, are much worse than MB for keys. Their design fault was allowing a key to be programmed inside the car. This was convenient for servicing personnel, but also all to easy for crooks.

Keep your keys safe, dont leave them lying around in the hall or kitchen. Take them up to bed with you when you go, dont be careless with them if you want to keep your hand on your £250. And your £30,000 car.

It always amazes me that people fill their garage with £100 worth of crap and valueless old boxes and paint, but leave a £30k motor sitting there on the drive for anyone to have a gander at and potentially drive away.

 

[television]

Keep your keys safe, dont leave them lying around in the hall or kitchen. Take them up to bed with you when you go, dont be careless with them if you want to keep your hand on your £250. And your £30,000 car.

It always amazes me that people fill their garage with £100 worth of crap and valueless old boxes and paint, but leave a £30k motor sitting there on the drive for anyone to have a gander at and potentially drive away.

And do not give them to your kids to play with in the pram, do not keep a huge bunch of house keys on the same ring.

Yes and so true in the average garage where 99% are just full of unwanted items.

 

[Cardinal Biggles]

Which is why MB get away with charging what they charge.

OP isn't talking about the price for the fob complete ............... it's the price of the blade that is the problem ............. and I'm sure a screw driver & Molegrips would suffice if you were that way inclined.

And you still need to prove who you are & the car's details at A N Other manufacturers dealership.

I'd expect nothing less. I dont want some toe-rag going around with a copy of my key in his pocket.

Brake pads for my MB were well priced, cheaper than a clone part for the real thing. I dont want cheap key replacement, I want secure and dependable key replacement. If its my fault I lost a key i will stump up.

By the way, your insurance usually won't cover you if your car is stolen by losing the keys or leaving them in the car. So you have much more than £250 riding on this.

 

[Rory]

Yes, this was on the telly the other day showing how they did it. Essentially the Scum get a replacement key and just drive your car away.

So it's only as secure as the person entering the order at the dealer.

Expecting customers to pay extra for something that should be standard (good key security) is not acceptable, in my opinion.