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Cheap, but reputable, remote fob dealer?

P

PrinceofWands

Lifer
Need a couple replacement remote fobs for a kia, but there's not way I'm paying $140 ea for them from the dealer. Anyone have experience with someone cheap but safe?
 
You can find them on ebay, the problem is finding someone that can program it to the car 🙁

They are ridiculous in price, I paid $300 for a replacement from a chevey dealer
 
Find out what the procedure is to program them yourself. On some cars I think you only the need the car itself and one functioning remote. I got some on ebay for a Ford a few years ago.
 
I've had some bad luck with ebay, so I try to avoid it when possible. I somehow seem to do better with direct business purchases. Still, if it's the only way, I may have to just take the gamble.
 
ebay is about your best gamble. Make sure its the same FCC ID numbers and etc. Remotes might all look the same but the freq. might be different.

Another place that is a hit or miss is online forums for that car. I've picked up remotes from people who sold their cars but found remotes after. Or people who crashed/got stolen/etc and still have their remotes. Most people want like $50 or less shipped.

Then you gotta figure out how to program them, some are cake and some are little more weird. But as long as you have a working one you should be able to program them. I dont know how kia forums/support is tho. Ive only worked with nissan, VW, toyotas.
 
PrinceofWands said:
I've had some bad luck with ebay, so I try to avoid it when possible. I somehow seem to do better with direct business purchases. Still, if it's the only way, I may have to just take the gamble.
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You probably should just pay the $140 and be done with it then. That's not a lot of change for something you use multiple times a day.

If it were me, I'd pay much less than that on eBay and be using it in a week.
 
alkemyst said:
You probably should just pay the $140 and be done with it then. That's not a lot of change for something you use multiple times a day.

If it were me, I'd pay much less than that on eBay and be using it in a week.
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Price isn't relative to utility, it's relative to cost and/or income. It's a $10-15 part, so cost is right out. As for income, well, it's a LOT more than I want to spend on something that isn't even mine.

I found an ebay dealer I felt semi-ok with, and we'll just see how it goes. If I get burned again I'm done though.
 
I got two from ebay, neither would program. For the cost, I'm not too worried about it plus it's not worth the shipping cost to return them to china for a refund. At the price paid, they make great spare keys to manually unlock the doors (fob is built in) but neither will start the car.
 
PrinceofWands said:
Price isn't relative to utility, it's relative to cost and/or income. It's a $10-15 part, so cost is right out. As for income, well, it's a LOT more than I want to spend on something that isn't even mine.

I found an ebay dealer I felt semi-ok with, and we'll just see how it goes. If I get burned again I'm done though.
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Well apparently it's not really a $10-15 part though.

Usually the minimum you will pay for a fob is about $30-50.
 
alkemyst said:
Well apparently it's not really a $10-15 part though.

Usually the minimum you will pay for a fob is about $30-50.
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Yeah, but they have to make a profit even at that price. Ok, maybe it costs as much as $25, but I think that's pretty high. Still NO reason for a dealer to charge $140 if others can charge $40.
 
GuitarDaddy said:
You can find them on ebay, the problem is finding someone that can program it to the car 🙁

They are ridiculous in price, I paid $300 for a replacement from a chevey dealer
Click to expand...

Some independent locksmiths have the scan tool (needed for late model GM) and will program it for you, one near me sold me a new FOB and programmed it for $50, dealer wanted $140.
 
Eugene86 said:
I'm curious to know this too. How do you know you got screwed over?
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Item arrived, but they only shipped one instead of two, even though two were paid for. Contacted them a couple times (as well as ebay and the card company to learn my options), and they have now agreed to send me my second fob.

Am I ending up with what I paid for? Yes, but now I'm out a day of stress and about 2 1/2 hours of calls and emails to make it happen. This seems to usually happen when I buy from Ebay (even keeping it to big sellers with 'good' reputations). 50-75% of my transactions there have had problems. Some minor, like this one, but many have been horrendous.
 
2 1/2 hours of calls and emails? It's been all of a week since when you could have ordered and recieved.

Calling your card company and ebay that soon is nuts.

I am thinking your 50-75% of problems is you thinking ebay is like buying it retail.
 
alkemyst said:
2 1/2 hours of calls and emails? It's been all of a week since when you could have ordered and recieved.

Calling your card company and ebay that soon is nuts.

I am thinking your 50-75% of problems is you thinking ebay is like buying it retail.
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Yep, on the good side they were quick on delivery. Would have been nice if what had been delivered had been correct. Why would it be nuts to get the ball rolling on covering my ass knowing how badly it could be burned if I didn't?

Yeah, silly of me to expect to get what I pay for in a business transaction. What was I thinking.
 
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