Mercedes taking theP*ss

[nigel cross]

I keep all the receipts that I have spent on the car and in 2004 Bought a new key, cost £55.
Wifey's one is playing up even with new batteries, so armed with Log Book and Passport went to order a new one yesterday.
Price is now £197 talk about a captive audience , cant buy a key anywhere else so they have got you by the short and curlies

 

[Fady]

Is definately the only place you can get one then? I've never had the problem, but like you, I resent paying for something that I think is overpriced. A very quick Google reveals these guys. A short phone call might reveal whether they can actually help or not and at what cost - and there might even be others on the web.

 

[neilrr]

Is it this flip out kind?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=330303582801&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

 

[High-Lo]

I bought the chrome one from the dealers last year for £150 which I thought was steep. Definitely taking the P at £200 I reckon..

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Its not just MB, its all car marques.

 

[Gareth]

a Renault replacement is around £120

 

[Dieselman]

a Renault replacement is around £120

He wants a key not a whole car..

 

[markymark1]

Hi have W202 quoted £165 all MB dealers the same still looking for the definitive answer if keys can be recoded from all the forums the answer is no but the link above says that they can, i know that the blade can be bought as a blank and can be recut by a locksmith.
As i said in a previous post about this that if only a MB dealer can do this they have ideed got you by the short ones.
Regards Mark

 

[stevesey]

As i said in a previous post about this that if only a MB dealer can do this they have ideed got you by the short ones.
Regards Mark

That's about the long and short of it.

Keys are effectively write-once devices and the only way people have seem to have found of getting around the problem involves unsoldering the chip from the key to re-program/replace - after also removing the DAS unit from the car and reading the necessary codes from that (again by unsoldering a chip). Anyone who does this will then be able to make extra new keys for themselves, so you could lose your car going this route.

 

[kth286]

He wants a key not a whole car..

May start getting cheaper to buy a new car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nigel cross]

I can understand that they are expensive, but how can the price go up from £55 to £200 in 4 years. Now that's what I call inflation.
It has got a key, but thats for the last ditch, it unlocks remotely and the ignition is by plugging it in

 

[stevesey]

I can understand that they are expensive, but how can the price go up from £55 to £200 in 4 years. Now that's what I call inflation.

It the extra for those nice chrome keys we get now.

More seriously it appears that this should not cost any more that it did a few years ago and it looks like blatant profiteering on behalf of MB (OK they have tightened up on the ID procedures but that shouldn't add any significant cost).

Perhaps we could organise a campaign - perhaps someone could draft a letter of complaint to MBUK and we could all send them one (and include the other UK based forums).

 

[Peter DLM]

I bought the chrome one from the dealers last year for £150 which I thought was steep. Definitely taking the P at £200 I reckon..

Ditto. I think the exact price was £146 something.

To increase by £50 in one year is pretty blatent.

 

[219]

Stick with a W201 or a W124 then .

A new key is about £11

 

[AANDYY]

It the extra for those nice chrome keys we get now.

More seriously it appears that this should not cost any more that it did a few years ago and it looks like blatant profiteering on behalf of MB (OK they have tightened up on the ID procedures but that shouldn't add any significant cost).

Perhaps we could organise a campaign - perhaps someone could draft a letter of complaint to MBUK and we could all send them one (and include the other UK based forums).

I wonder if the RAC or AA could help us with the above?
I also had to buy one last year, £195

 

[neilrr]

Stick with a W201 or a W124 then .

A new key is about £11

11 quid! That's outrageous.

I paid a tenner for an ignition lock with TWO keys.