Expert: Mike Evans - 8/17/2009

Question
What should I do if the dealership is telling me they cant cut and program the key i have offline to my 2001 voltswagen jetta, whats the problem with the key i ordered?

Answer
    Well, it may be the wrong key, it may be a bogus key, or the dealer may be unwilling to provide you the service without also making the profit from selling you the new key.  There's nothing in the law that says the dealer has to work with non-OEM parts.  I frequently encountered people returning parts that they had installed on their cars before giving up and going to the dealer.  If a dealer service department finds a non-OEM part on a car that they are working on, it is automatically condemned as a "bad" part.  Then they usually refuse to complete the repair unless the owner buys a new one from them, and pays them to replace it.  That's the standard business model for almost all auto dealer service departments, and there's nothing you can do about it.  However, if you just want a key cut and programmed, call an automotive locksmith (look in the yellow pages).  They can do anything the dealer does, and cheaper.  Tell him upfront that you already have the blank, and he should quote you a fair price for the service.  Also, they are almost always mobile, he'll come to you.  Find out what he would have charged for the blank, you might be surprised.  I was always suspicious of buying keys on ebay, it just seemed like  bad idea.