Will you cut a car key from eBay or Amazon?

cut a car key

It must be frustrating when you’ve got hold of a bargain car key, but you can’t the key cut. Here in Lincoln, we often have customers visit that just need a bit of help. They’ve bought a car key from eBay or Amazon and want the blade cut, and we’re happy to. 

cut a car key

The shame is that although some companies have valid reasons not to cut a car key they don’t supply, they don’t explan why. We know these reasons, and want to explain why you may get a ‘No’. But more importantly, you’ll find out how we can help you with your car key. 

Why won't other key shops cut my key ?

The first thing to say is that we already cut car keys for four big dealerships in Lincoln. When they order a key for a customer, the blade is blank. Before they can programme it, the blade needs to be cut. We’ve got the experience and equipment to do this with confidence.

So lets look at why other key cutting shops won’t do this. 

Here are some of the excuses.

Excuses - It will break our key cutting machine

cut a car key

So this is the machine we use and it’s a fantastic piece of engineering, and it should be at the price! So we know that cutting your car key won’t damage this machine, however, it may break a cutter.

This is the most common excuse and there is some truth in this, however it’s all about managing risk. 

The problem with keys from eBay or Amazon, is that the metal is rock hard. It’s normally cheaply made and the steel has less alloy mixed with it to make it easier to cut. We know that these can be harder metal, so we allow for it. 

When we fit a new cutter into our machine, they cost around £70 so it’s understandable that we don’t want to break it, or damage it unnecessarily. This is why we take the precaution of setting the machine to its slowest speed of cut. Gently goes and usually everything is fine. 

If you’re interested in how it works, take a look https://youtu.be/eMfOM9Gf6lk

Excuses - We don't know where it's come from

Again linked back to not wanting to damage the machine. It doesn’t really matter where the key has come from, we’ll do our best to cut it.

Excuses - We can't replace it if there's a problem.

It’s easy to cut a key badly, or make a mistake when we cut a car key. Even though it’s computer controlled, we all know how computers can go wrong. When we supply the key, if there’s a mistake, or problem, we’ll simply get another off the peg. However, if your car key is unusual and not something we hold, then there’s a problem if it goes wrong. 

Other companies have a blanket ban, and this protects them from this problem. However, we prefer to work wth you as a customer and will explain the risks. 

How much do you charge to cut a car key?

We charge £10 to cut a car key that you bring into us. The charge covers a bit of all our workshop bills, the heating and lighting, phone and insurance. On top of that it allows us to replace our cutters when the become blunt or break. We hope you agree this is a fair charge. 

Where are you based in Lincoln?

It’s very easy to find us. We’re at Chieftain Way, just off Tritton Rd. Click here to see us on Google Maps

We are at the shop every morning except Sunday. In the afternoon we may be out on call so if you are travelling from a distance, call us first on 01522 514141.

We hope to see you and we’re confident we’ll be able to cut your car key. 

Scroll to Top