Ok, this sucks

[gwynhefar]

So when I bought my car, they gave me my key on this fancy little spring-loaded keychain thingy with the dealership logo on it. I attached it to my hunk o' keys and didn't really think more about it. Yesterday, I went to check my mail, taking my keys with me, and walking across the parkinglot to the other side of the complex past the pool where the mailboxes were.

This morning, I went to go get in my car to leave and realised that the car key wasn't on the chain. The little spring-loaded keychain thingy had come unfastened, and it was still there, the key was not. Now I know it was still there when I left for the mailbox yesterday, and I hadn't touched my keys since I put them back in their place after coming back from the mailbox, so somewhere between my apartment door and the mailboxes lay my key. I walked the path back and forth about five times, but still couldn't find the key.

Since I was not given a spare, I was finally forced to call the local Chevy dealership and inquire about getting a replacement key. They told me to come in, bringing proof of ownership, and they'd cut me a new key. So I got a ride from a helpful neighbour, and 10 minutes and $100 later I have a new key to my car. Then the person tells me, 'you know you have to get this programmed, right?' Apparently what they failed to mention over the phone is that there's a computer chip in the key that needs to be programmed to match the car before the key will work in the ignition. Oh, and in order to program the key, they need the car.

So now I'm back in my apartment, waiting for the tow truck to come and tow my car to the Chevy dealership so I can pay another $50 for them to program the key. The soonest the tow truck can be here is in 3 hours. There goes another day of leave I can't afford to lose. Guess I better start volunteering for more weekend shifts *sigh*

Comments

[terracinque.livejournal.com]

That's really poor design. Or really brilliant design, from the dealer's point of view.

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. $150 for a new key to my car, plus whatever the tow truck would have cost if I didn't have AAA, and a full day off work waiting around for to get it done. This is one expensive instance of fancy keychain malfunction.

[grizzlydan.livejournal.com]

Tag: Technology wow.

I feel your pain.

[harkalark.livejournal.com]

That's just fucking stupid. They should have given you a spare when you bought the car. Every other dealer I've known has done that.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

That's nasty. There's a reason I don't like newer cars. (Actually there are several of them.) Technology is wonderful in its place, but all the new gadgetry that they put into new cars costs a lot to deal with when something goes wrong. Keys that cost $150 instead of $2 just don't agree with me.