Friday, October 30, 2009

Highway Robbery

2002_mercury_mountaineer
I have one of these.  I think it’s a 2002 model.




Two of these came with it.

 I just learned that this gadget is called  a “Transponder Key.”

We need a third key for our third driver.

If you want a new transponder key, it will cost you roughly $100.00 at the dealership. You can’t have them copied at the hardware store, like you can with your house key. This is because there is some kind of fancy computer chip in the key. The car won’t start without this special chip-in-key.

Old car + new key = $100.00 dollars, GONE. Just to be able to get in and start the bl**dy thing.

I call that “highway robbery.”

6 comments:

Pam said...

Wow! That 'transponder' thingy sounds like something from a Star Trek movie! lol And yes, what a rip!

Busy Bee Suz said...

That is crazy. I can see them needing to charge something...but 100.00 is crazy.
I did find it funny that you did not know what year your car is; it shows how un-materialistic of a person you are. One of the many reasons to love you.
Suz

Karen said...

I lost my daughter's VW Jetta transponder key...little old car, expensive new key--$200 to replace. Hope that makes you feel better!

ChiTown Girl said...

Ugh! What a racket!

AnnDeO said...

I've had to replace one of those before also... and just out of spite or frustration or craziness I kept the new key when we traded the car in.

Jason, as himself said...

That is just not right. Everyone's finding a way to stick it to the consumer.