It is understandable to panic when your car keys get lost or stolen, but if a professional locksmith service covers you, this becomes a problem that can be resolved promptly! Worst case scenario is if you carry your home keys on the same ring and do not know where to start. Carrying home and car keys in the same ring is inadvisable because it poses a higher risk.
Still, you should always ensure you keep your keys in secure pockets or bags. Preferably, your car keys should always be on your body and not placed on, for example, a table.
Car theft is on the rise in California in recent months as the Coronavirus disrupted most activities with lockdown regulations. This is a trend that had been suppressed by car security technology. People have been losing cars in the most unexpected scenarios, such as in a few minutes store drops and deliveries.
In case you lost your car keys and are wondering what to do next, here is what you should do:
Search the Area
Before taking any measures, you must ascertain the keys are lost to avoid creating unnecessary alarms. Still, a search of the area should not take hours. This would allow the thief enough time to execute theft.
The need to be vigilant about where you place your keys is an attribute absent among people who have never been drastically inconvenienced by a lost key situation. Many people unknowingly lock keys inside vehicles because they fail to practice basic preventive measures.
In most cases, people only forget keys after putting them in unusual places. They are also the hardest to find since you would hardly think of looking there. Make a routine of where you place your car keys in the house, car, or workplace.
If you lock your keys inside the car, contact a locksmith who will respond in a couple of minutes.
Secure Your Car
As technology improves, thieves are adapting by seeking loopholes to such tech. Nowadays, starting a car by connecting wires pulled from under the ignition like in the movies doesn’t work like it used to. Stealing car keys is the easiest and most relied-on means used today.
Immediately you miss your car keys, securing the car from intrusion should be your priority. Use your spare key to move the car to a secure location. If you lack spare keys, you should seek break-down services for towing. It might be a little costly but worth it.
Today, vast technological features allow car owners to secure stolen vehicles. If you miss your keys, contact your service provider to help secure your car. Never underestimate the threat posed by stolen car keys.
Call the Police
Now that your car is secure, you should first inform the authorities. For effective assistance, you should be elaborate and kin to details. Ensure you feed them with details of the loss and anything else that might be relevant, such as a description of the suspects if possible.
Besides, your insurer will require that you involve the authorities before claiming compensation. However, remember to update the police if you find the keys.
Call Your Insurers
Insurance companies require that you involve them as soon as you suffer a loss. Being late might be enough reason to deny you compensation.
Your car insurance will only cover your car keys even if lost together with your home keys. Your home insurance could also compensate you if your claim is valid. However, none assures compensation. But you better try than give up without hearing what they have to say.
If you fear that such compensation could prevent you from receiving no-claim bonuses, you could enquire if your insurer offers a policy for car keys. Regular car protection policies could still apply.
Replace the Locks/ Fob
You also need to prevent potential invasion by changing the locks. A car key replacement is inexpensive with professional locksmith service. Who you call depends on the nature of your locking system. For electronic keys, you need a car dealer. However, regular car locks open by keys are best replaced by a locksmith.
Professional locksmiths use a code-cutting machine to design keys from car registration numbers without a sample. Chipped lock systems could be reprogrammed to deny the old keys control while accepting commands from a new one.
Besides, in most cases, thieves steal keys without knowing the car it opens. Therefore, if you replace the locks early, they might end up never knowing which car’s keys they stole.
Nobody is entirely safe from losing car keys. Therefore, always ensure you have a spare backup that you can readily access in case of emergencies. You could also use a key-tracking system to easily find them via a mobile app.
It is also safer to subscribe to an anti-theft service or install these security features. Your car might have critical information, which might direct the thief to your home. That is why you need a professional locksmith who could also help with home security.
Nevertheless, even if you don’t get compensation, you can rest assure your car is safe from a break-in.
