welcome to camarofurms.com dwb

 

Thanks.


I went to a local locksmith this afternoon. I got a copy of the ignition key for $19 and a door key for less than $2. I talked to him about the charge at the dealership and he told me that ifI would have went to the cadillac dealer down the street they would have given me the code for free, and that it is BS that the dealership gets charged by GM to look up key codes.
I know it's only 30 bucks, but it's the principle of it that makes me mad. I though about contacting someone higher up at the dealership, but I'm not going to waste my time.
But I can assure you that Jon Hall Chevrolet in Daytona Beach will not get anymore of my business.

 

I don't think gm forces them but since they are a dealer they can enforce any rule they feel is justified. Just how a pizza place charges you for a tip no matter what. They dont have to but they can if they make it their policy

 

You are exactly right. But I can also make it a personal policy to not give them my money. Like I siad what really make sme mad is that they tried to tell me that GM charges them instead of just saying that it is their policy to charge to look up key codes.

 

Could also be that past experiences with other customers made the dealer tell you GM charges them so that they wouldn't get as much argument from you. It's like the good cop/bad cop method, you couldn't argue with a GM rep, because there wasn't one there (that method also works pretty well when you're selling a car for "someone else" wink-wink). By telling you what they did (GM charges them), the dealer basically cut your room for argument right off. I'll bet they got tired of trying to explain and justify over and over again why they charge what they do to duplicate a key that way.

 

The reason that they do it (cut off arguments, increase cash flow, just to be a jerk) doesn't make it right.
I currently own three Chevy's and have always had good luck with my bowties, but because of too many things like this happening (parts department telling me that optisparks are no longer available, yeah right!) has poisoned my pocketbook as far as any dealership is concerned. What ever happened to customer service?
I really was looking forward to getting a new 2010 Camaro, and had saved enough to buy it cash in hand, but I'll be damned if I am going to give Government Motors another penny of my hard earned money.

 

Not every dealer is the same just like every car is not the same. Don't let one bad gm experience bring you down. It could be worse, honda charges $180 for a chipped civic key. The price you got from the locksmith to make you a key without making a duplicate is cheap. Most locksmith would charge you at least 60 for ignition. They charged me $20 for the door key without a key to duplicate and i shopped around.

 

Your right, not every dealer is the same, and I'm not going to let this experience keep me from going to a different dealership. But I generally try to avoid a dealership if I can anyway.

 

good call.