Found out how painful it is to lose key fob

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon @ Jun 4 2007, 06:57 PM) [snapback]455254[/snapback]</div>

I guess it depends on one's definition of "cheap". I've read about Merc/Beemer replacements, and they're beyond highway robbery; a case of zapping the rich for all they got. Well, I'm not rich, can't afford a Merc (if I could, I'm guessing the extra Benjamins for a fob wouldn't phase me).


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jun 4 2007, 04:27 PM) [snapback]455153[/snapback]</div>

The real issue - it's ridiculously expensive to be stupid and lose your keys. Like, approaching $500, which is, ridiculous. That $500 cost doesn't fit the "crime".

And that doesn't include towing costs. Towing! For Christ's sake. That alone is a pisser. Maybe it takes following a flatbed truck swerving around the roads with your Prius on top....and all for a gosh darn replacement *fob* (a bleepin fob!), to appreciate what a muck'd up, stupid policy/S.O.P. this is. Again, hand/arm in the air (we) were stupid, I admit. But, Toyota and *all* manufacturers need a more humanistic, customer friendly approach to what used to be a much less expensive physical key replacement process.

And I don't intend to "keep complaining" to Toyota. My only complaint to them thus far was getting quoted one price by a dealer, getting an invoice, and then getting told a day later that it's another $100....because they miscalculated the labor. That's B.S., if nothing else, they should be able to tell me *immediately* what I'm looking at in terms of cost for the simple request of "lost all fobs, need new one". Actually, I could have told them...I gleamed as much off Google to get near their ultimate cost, and I'm not the one with a service center. And it's not like I am in any position to haggle, what can I do, camp out next to my car, which I can't start to go shop around for, say, $400 fob replacement jobs (and pay for tow #2)? Please.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 4 2007, 05:57 PM) [snapback]455214[/snapback]</div>

Interesting. To me, this makes little sense - why should a seed necessarily have to require the actual vehicle to be generated and retrieved. If it's a fixed number, that can be captured centrally. If it's a random #, that can be generated centrally. If it's an algorithm based on a seed, that too can be moved centrally. Either this was a money making scheme, or just plain bad design if you ask me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 4 2007, 11:05 PM) [snapback]455433[/snapback]</div>

It all sounds fairly over-engineered. And somehow, I can't picture someone getting a hold of ones identity for the purpose of figuring out whether they have a key fob, going to a car dealer or mailing Toyota corporate for a hypothetical replacement fob, followed by physically traveling to their locale and then ripping off their car (additional car alarms, big dogs, etc, be damned). Hacking one's PC, stealing credit card info, etc? Sure.

If I lose my pin for my credit card, I contact the bank and the bank sends me a new code in the mail (to the address they have on record), or new card if the card was lost. It would have been nice if it could be this simple. Or in the very least, not require physically TOWING ones car to a locksmith or dealer with a scan tool. I'm almost even okay with getting ripped off, I've accepted that as dealing with these sleazy car dealers. But transporting an entire car...for what amounts to a new key....that's stooopid.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wyounger @ Jun 8 2007, 04:01 PM) [snapback]458251[/snapback]</div>

For me, it goes without saying that one should not put themselves in a position to have only one key (or no keys). But shite happens, for reasons unknown. Ok, stupidity, but that's where the customer side of the story ends.

To me, the other side of the story is *exactly* the issue of how it should be; car models and car company profits sink or swim on issues that effect the customer experience and cost of ownership. Hey, whatever, if this is how it's going to be for years and years to come, fine. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the car companies, including Toyota, will eventually change things so *at least* one doesn't have to tow their car physically to a dealership to get new keys made. Maybe towing isn't deemed a big deal, but it's not cheap, and AAA refused to take my car because I couldn't take it out of Park (I guess the guy had no dolly).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pingman @ Jun 10 2007, 06:04 PM) [snapback]459280[/snapback]</div>

I guess that's Toyota's thinking as well. Well, here's to never losing anything valuable!