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Whit Johnson ReportingYou've probably used, or at least seen, those keyless remotes and fancy car keys. Most newer model cars come with them nowadays, but if you lose them they can be very expensive to replace. The dealership is no longer your only option, though.
The future is already here in some respects, no more wasting precious time manually locking and unlocking car doors.
Paul Hardy, Bought Car Key Online: "They're handy, you can lock it. You have emergency, you can pop the trunk."
Car keys with keyless remotes have become an auto industry standard, but they're not cheap to replace.
Paul Hardy, Bought Car Key Online: "275 dollars and I said, ‘Wow, that's way too much."
That includes the key, the remote, programming, everything, but Paul Hardy just needed the key. So he shopped around the internet. He bought his key on eBay for less than $20 and even found remotes at a similar price.
Paul was given a set of instructions for programming the key. They consisted of a few simple tasks such as pressing the brake pedal, the gas pedal and putting the key in the ignition, and it all took about two minutes."
It's not just eBay. Other Internet sites offer inexpensive remotes and keys. Dealers claim they're still the most convenient option.
John Forbes, Ken Garff Honda Downtown: "You can buy the keys from us. We have the keys in stock. We can cut the key. We can program the key all in one stop."
Plus, some keys can only be programmed with dealership equipment, that's why internet sellers offer a warranty just in case.
Jason Irgang, G.M. American Internet Sales Inc: "I don't see any reason why a customer should be worried. If it doesn't work they can always return it for a refund."
There's certainly no denying that in a world of competition the Internet strikes again. There are no real security concerns with purchasing keys or remotes online. If you program a car yourself, it still needs to be done from the inside.
