If you're unlucky enough to lose your apartment or car key (lost, broken, stolen...), get ready for…read morequite the quest.
First, you'll likely need a replacement urgently.
Second, you definitely don't want that duplicate ending up in the wrong hands.
Third, there's no shortage of people looking to profit from your misfortune -- especially car dealerships, if you turn to them for a new key.
I recently found myself in just such a situation when I needed a new key for my car. A Google search for "car locksmith" returned a bunch of sponsored ads promising instant service, low prices, and mobile visits. But once you call them, it turns out that the "family-owned business with 25 years of experience" has no physical address or real reviews. And the advertised price? It suddenly triples or even quadruples. One "24/7 service" promised to call me back to schedule a visit -- and then simply disappeared for two days.
Eventually, I searched for "nearest car locksmith" and chose a place with a real address, plenty of positive reviews on Google, and a strong reputation on Yelp.
After a short phone call, we agreed on a time. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived, and within an hour I had two brand new keys for my Mitsubishi in my hands. In that time, the locksmith -- his name is Sam Habib -- cut the keys, programmed them, tested them, offered me coffee, and even gave me a chocolate.
Excellent professional service, friendly attitude, and very reasonable prices.
I successfully completed my quest!
