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Hiring a Locksmith to Help Protect Your Paperwork

Keeping a copy of all your important paperwork safe in one place is a great way to ensure that you have access to things like proofs of purchases, insurance policies, and even wills. But keeping paperwork in a desk drawer or under the bed is not the safest plan – what if a fire breaks out or someone infiltrates your home and steals all the important stuff? Consider hiring a locksmith to install a fireproof floor safe in a closet of your home or in the basement where all of your important paperwork and investments can be kept. You’ll have instant access to it all when you need it, and it will be safe from theft and destruction when you don’t. You might be surprised at how many ways a locksmith can help keep your property at home safe. Explore the pages here for more information!

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Hiring a Locksmith to Help Protect Your Paperwork

What To Do When You Need A Replacement Key For Your Car Right Away

by Manuel Carmona

If you have ever locked yourself out of your car or lost the keys and do not have a spare, you know how frustrating vehicle key replacement can be. Fortunately, replacing the key is easier than ever, and a mobile locksmith can come to you, make a new key, and get you back on the road quickly. 

Standard Car Keys

Car key replacement with older vehicles is simple, and the keys used often do not require any special features, so a locksmith can quickly make you a new key to fit the door or ignition of your vehicle. Often the key code is available to the locksmith if they have your VIN (vehicle identification number), or they can work out the tumbler combination with tools available to them. 

The cost for a standard car key replacement is often very reasonable, and if you are stranded without a key, it is often well worth the cost. The locksmith service can give you a general price when you call, and after the locksmith makes the key, they may adjust it to the situation and time it took to make a working key for your vehicle.

Once you have a replacement key, get a couple of copies made and give a copy to someone you trust to can avoid the same situation again later.

Electronic Security Keys

Newer cars and trucks often use keys with a microchip embedded that tells the vehicle you are using the correct key. A car key replacement with these security keys is more difficult because the locksmith must program the chip to match the security code in the vehicle's computer. 

A mobile locksmith service often has specialized equipment to read the codes from the car and then program the new key to ensure it works. However, the key also needs to be made for the vehicle, so the process involves additional time and multiple steps. 

Replacing a coded key can be expensive, but if you have lost the original, it is typically the best option. You may be able to get a replacement key through your local dealership. However, the dealer may need to order it from the manufacturer and encode the key the same way the locksmith will, but you may need to have the car towed to the dealer so they can access the computer. 

In any case, car key replacement of this type will be expensive, and the locksmith is typically faster and less expensive than the dealership. Expect a cost in the hundreds of dollars for these keys, but ask the locksmith for a price when you call so that you can be prepared to pay for the replacement key and services when they are done.  

For more information about car key replacement, contact a local locksmith.

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