Nowadays there are more and more online services that offer you to make a key copy at a reasonable price. So it is no longer necessary to go to the locksmith, everything can be done from home with the help of a simple smartphone. However, this does not mean that you have to trust the first arrival. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to make a small assessment of the practice of key duplication by listing some important elements to know.
The route via the manufacturer remains the safest solution
First useful thing to know; Without exception, all key manufacturers offer their customers a key production service. So, instead of asking a locksmith who will wildly and unauthorizedly make you a key, go directly to the manufacturer without an intermediary. As a rule, you are asked about the key number of the key to make a copy of the millimeter. In the event of a renovation that requires new keys, this is the best!
Since you know that some brands will also ask you about the property card, remember to keep you in a safe place. Finally, remember that asking a locksmith to reproduce your key could void your cylinder warranty. In fact, if it’s not exactly the right dimensions, it can be damaged. And if you abuse a certain product, the guarantee expires.
The duplication of a key rarely exceeds 100 euros, even for big brands
In France there are some big brands like Pollux or Picard (which has nothing to do with the frozen food manufacturer). If prices obviously vary widely from brand to brand, don’t expect exorbitant prices either. For example, for the reproduction of a Vachette key, we see that it goes from 20 to 120 €. If there is such variability, it is because there are different models of greater or lesser quality (Vachette VIP, Vachette Radial Si, Vachette C5 Code, etc.).
Of course, some people will argue that honest locksmiths offer prices that can be lower. But again it is forgotten that you take the risk of not getting reproduction with identical dimensions. If you know exactly how you have to work with the keys, you’d better pay a little more for a new key ex works!