My experience, and yours may differ, is that when I pick up a rental car I get a key ring that is crimped at both ends and contains two keys. The crimping means that I can't take one of the two keys and give it to my wife or store it in my briefcase, in case I lock the other in the car. That second key is, to me, less than worthless. The reason it is less than worthless is that it makes for a bigger bulge in my pocket and a harder time finding change or whatever in said pocket.
So, why do the car rental companies do it?
I expect that there is no point in them keeping the key at the desk, due to the fact that rental cars are sometimes dropped off somewhere else. I am renting from Philly and this car is from Tennessee and the last one had New York tags.
Maybe they worry that a key will wear out or get bent. Possible, but cars are sold before they get a lot of mileage on them. The fear of a key wearing out should be small.
But, as for selling, maybe this is the only way for them to come up with two keys at sales time.
That said, I would appreciate it if they would just have a process to cut a new key and let me travel in a little more comfort.
Regards — Cliff
Have you tried to get a new key for your car any time in the last 15 years? All modern cars keys have a chip in them, so you can't just go to the cobbler and get a key cut. Those days are gone. No, you have to go to the dealer, and they may have to order a blank with the right chip in it, and then cut a key. For some cars it is as much as $200.
ReplyDeleteThe rental place doesn't want to have to track the key and they don't want to have to replace it, so you bear the burden. Better customer service for the ultimate buyer, but still a pain for the renter.
Last month I rented a car and the keys came with two big oversized keys AND two keyless entry button things, plus the typical rental car company large plastic thingy with the make/model/color/tag # of the car, all permanently secured on two interlocking crimped rings. The only positive thing is that it was the middle of the snowpocalypse so I had a nice big winter parka with giant pockets to stow my janitor-sized key ring. What do people do in the summer?
ReplyDeleteAnon captures my problem.
ReplyDeleteBut, meantime, back to The Other Cliff, I noted last evening that the big, clunky, "plastic thingy" has a note that says "Minimum $200 Charge For Lost Keys".
OK, on a one time basis the $200 may well be a good number. However, mark me as cynical, but I am thinking that for a big customer like an Auto Rental company they should be able to get a better deal on duplicate keys when they are retiring a large number of cars. I think the Auto Rental companies are just taking the easy way and saving a few dollars (which become quite a few dollars over thousands of cars) at the inconvenience of their customers.
To re-quote The Other Cliff: "Better customer service for the ultimate buyer, but still a pain for the renter."
Regards — Cliff