Gotta' tell you about it guys. I got one key with my 2002 Grand Cherokee. You'll remember me telling you about the dealer wanting $100 for an extra one. Well,,,,,,, I had my son-in-law get me a couple of keys from a professed excellent seller on E-Bay for $26 which included shipping. I got the keys in a few days and they looked okay, minus the JEEP logo impressed on them. Good so far. Today I dropped into my friendly Big Box store (Home Depot) and asked if they could cut them. The guy said, "I guess so, but it's not my bad if it screws up." "Okay," I say, "I'll take the hit. You do one and I'll try it in the door. If it works, I'll letcha' do the other one." Well he did, I did and it did. So after cutting the second key for me I asked, "How much?" "Nuthin'," says this saint in an orange apron and I thanked him profusely. Journeying on down the road a couple blocks, I pulled into the Stealership with my two, newly cut keys. "This won't take long," I lie to my wife. "I need a transponder key programmed," says I to the parts department guy. "See the Service Manager," says he. "Twenty Six dollars," says the service mismanager. "Okay," grumbled I. "Do it." So, I hand him the original one and one of my newly ground keys and he smiles and points me to the waiting room. "Waiting room," thinks I? "What gives? For 30 seconds on a computer?" Leaving my car in the hands of a stranger, the wife and I saunter into the waiting room for a free cup of coffee that's been toasting for several hours, and listen to Judge Judy, blaring from the tube mounted in the corner. Seeing a sign for "Free Wireless Internet" I'm thinking that many have journeyed into this room and few escaped in less than half a day. I'm thinking I should have brung my laptop. About that time I see my baby being driven off and into a stall. "Oh-oh," I think. "Something smells rotten here." After about 30 minutes, two magazines apiece, and a change into some other strident day-time peeping tom TV show, In comes the mechanic with my paperwork and hands it to the cashier. I go to settle and the bill is for $29.40 plus tax! Knowing it's of no use to badger the poor cashier and tired from sitting in the plush waiting room, I write the check and get my keys released. I get into my baby and read the excellent instructions that came with my keys from the E-Bay seller and it takes 2 minutes to program the third key to my car. Summary: Thumbs up on E-Bay. Extra thumbs up on Home Depot. A dozen thumbs down on the stealership. I now have three keys for a total of $56, about half of what the stealer gets for one. It's no wonder I do everything I possibly can to the Jeep in my driveway. Thanks for all your help on this guys. Denny
- posted
17 years ago