mikew

Lost Keys

Today’s car keys are far more advanced than they were a generation ago. That’s why replacing a car’s key and remote can cost hundreds of euros. Key Protection not only covers against the expense of lost or damaged keys, but offers peace of mind in helping eliminate the hassles of an already stressful situation.

How much is a replacement car key?

You’ll probably have to pay an excess charge (your compulsory, plus any voluntary excess) for replacement keys, but check your policy documents.
The excess is a nuisance, but if you don’t have cover it’s a costly bill – in 2018, the average cost just to replace a car key was €250.
The price depends on the car and key you have. Generally, the more sophisticated the key the more it’ll cost – and remote keys tend to cost more.
Your car might need taking to a garage for work to be completed too. If your key was stolen, parts in your car will need to be replaced or altered to take a new key.
And if there’s a delay, you’ll probably need a hire car – it all adds up quickly.

Check what building cover you need
The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) has a handy re-building cost calculator on its website: www.scsi.ie. You just need to put in the information pertaining to your property and it will give you typical rebuild costs.

For example, a typical 4-bed semi-detached house (1,500 sq ft) in the Cork area would cost €194,600 to rebuild. If it has a garage attached, then you can expect to pay an additional €13,730 to rebuild.

The same property would cost €247,520 to rebuild in Dublin, or €169,960 in the north-west region.

It is a legal requirement to have motor insurance if you want to drive your car in a public place and you must produce a current Certificate of Insurance to pay motor tax. Failure to have motor insurance when driving is a very serious offence and drivers will incur fines, penalty points and may be disqualified from driving.

Motor insurance is about protecting other road users as opposed to the driver of the insured vehicle and it is not an optional extra. Insurance companies provide motor insurance and unlike road tax, there is no such thing as a “standard” rate.