The key is worth over $100 for the same reason the Cayman is worth almost twice what a 350Z costs.

It is a Porsche product brought to you by the company with the highest mark up in the auto industry.

You are shopping at an automotive NM store, not "Neiman Marcus" but "Needless Markup"....

 

I found a place to cut the key for me under $5.00, and then got the plastic holder on Ebay and cut the newly cut key to fit the holder. Took me less than 30 minutes and less than $15.

 

To all those that responded:

I'm aware that keys can be cut elsewhere for less. I had a set of keys cut 5 years ago at the very same dealership for about $10, maybe $15.

I think what ticked me off was the arrogant tone of the parts guy....sort of like "if you can't pay $100+ for a key you got 5 years ago for $10 or $15 bucks you have no business owning this car." I can't help but believe that this is the marketting strategy of this dealership, but I have to wonder whether it's specific to this dealership or a new Porsche marketting strategy. If it's the latter, this will be the last Porsche I own......in fact if that's the case i may even get rid of mine just to avoid association with this type of arrogance....talk about shooting your own foot off!!

 

I think the problem lies with the individual dealerships hiring practices and not some new marketing strategy from PCNA. During the past 6 or so months every open job position for a parts and/or service advisor that I've looked into has offered strictly commission or not much better than minimum wage as compensation. The end result is a under-educated service department trying to oversell every new Porsche owner that walks through the door OR someone that doesn't really know any better and doesn't give a sh*t talking down to long-time customers.

Have you tried to order a plastic "emergency" key from Porsche? It might be cheaper if PCNA/PAG still make them available?

 

I was just in to my dealership on Friday again. My parts guy and I had a discussion about the Cayman for at least 10 minutes after I picked up my special order part for only $40. I spoke with one of the new car salesman about the Cayenne (still can't spell that thing quickly...) and I talked with the Porsche service advisor for about 20 minutes. ALL of them are extremely nice, not pushy and answered all my questions. They'll talk 'shop' all day long if you want.

Bill, it's a dealership thing. Find another one if you can...or mail order your stuff from Suncoast or Vertex or whatever.

Or, better yet, find the manager of this pr!ck that treated you poorly and tell him/her about how you were talked down to. Push enough and I bet you can get in front of the dealership owner as well. They WILL listen if you are serious about how poorly you were treated. They are in the business of customer service. If not, the dealership will most likely fail at some point in time and get sold to new owners.

That d!ck that talked down to you probably is jealous since he drove to work that day in a '96 Ford Escort.

I still don't know why someone would turn away even little sales like keys and what not. It's all sales and the parts department most likely has sales goals to meet just like the sales department does.

Jay
90 964

 

Hey Bill,..
My experiences with the near-by Porsche Garage was probably the same. The initial reception was cool arrogance personified, especially me asking too many questions with an American accent still evident in my now first language which is French after thirty years here. As time went on, my 911/964 spoke for itself... It separated me from the "New Porsche Guys" who are even more arrogant and disrespectful. I for one do not like the new guys on the block, and neither do the part’s manager, or service personnel, and if I had to put up with these "Prima Donnae" at the end of the day I’d be a bit uptight also...Like everything in due time eventually you’ll be treated and respected as a Porsche’ist,.. Just like it used to be...

As far as the extravagant over pricing, in time there will be a discount for your enthusiasm, but Porsche is now like so many others in this over pricing phenomena... If it’s too cheap people don’t want it, and for the time being Porsche capitalizes on us the, "Old Porsche Guys" on the block...BTW... Did you ever buy a key for a, Bentley, or Ferrari?... I think we can only imagine, it must be even more insane...

For what it was worth,
Marc

 

I think it's a "best defense is a good offense" plan in the sales department and results from their sales success, they have become arrogant to an extreme.
The problem is us, the market (but not anyone on the 964 forum anyway!), not Porsche . They are just trying to make money by preying on peoples ignoance and it works, the Porsche shareholders are happy.

The salesman is looking for the customer who wants a Porsche for status and actually doesn't know much about the car or how it works, asks no questions other than about cosmetic options and pays for the car.

The other day, since I was driving by the Porsche dealer anyway, I decided to check out the Cayman. A salesman came over and asked me how I liked it, etc. I asked a couple of technical questions and the response was along the lines "Porsche engineering is supreme, there can be no questions".

We got into a discussion of limited slip differentials and the response was "Porsche engineers think ABD is better". I said well how come the GT3 and GT2 have a mechanical LSD and one is offered in Europe on the Carrera. He said that it is not offered in Europe. So, using his computer to go on the web, I showed him that an LSD with a sports suspension was available in Europe as a cost option on the Carrera and a no cost option on the Carrera S.

He then admitted that this was probably the attitude of PCNA not to have this option, so much for Porsche engineering!!

 

I work a counter with a guy like this , total jerk , thought he knew everything about everything . Did not know his stuff , when cornered he would yell at the customers . It was real good fun to hear the stuff he made up , total wild bs at times . Last time I ran across him , he was running a cash register at a office supply warehouse store .

 

It's really good to be on this site because it just makes it clear to me that the arrogant types are clearly not the norm in Porsche ownership. I have to admit I have run across a few of the "Babs and Farnsworth" crowd when I've come across some other P-car owners, but they are the extreme minority, not the rule. Let's hope it stays that way....a car for those that can appreciate a car as a performance work of art and not a status symbol.

I also shouldn't let some bird brain tick me off. It occurred to me after the fact and after reading some of these posts that it's likely he doesn't realize that the earlier P-cars don't have the embedded electronics that contemporary keys have.

I guess I'll keep the 'ol P-car after all.........

 

The local dealer here has always been very friendly to me yet very overpriced on parts. The one time I have used the servce department was a couple weeks ago and they couldnt have been friendlier. I even got compliments from people working there how pretty the cars was. The alignment tech brought me back and went thru what all he did and possible problem areas I need to check out while he was under the car. Probably only service I will ever have done there but a very good experience that actually was cheaper with PCA discount then the independents wanted to charge.

 

Everyone always screams "take your car to the independant for service". It really is a case by case basis. Some dealers are great, some are poor. I have several independants in my area that I will never, ever go to just due to the horror stories I've heard and experienced.

 

Bill, I am not sure why your dealer costs so much. I just ordered two keys for both of my cars after they were stolen - $38.65 each. They were ordered from PCNA based on the VIN number, and arrived in 2 days. Maybe try a different dealer???

 

Any good locksmith will have a key blank and will cut for you for around $3.00
I just had mine done. The dealer wanted big $$.
Chris

 

I just ordered a blank Porsche key set with crest /lite, 1 blank key to fit that crest, 1 blank key that only has Porsche on it and a valet key that has Porsche on it too. $80. Figure $10 to cut it all.
I only went this route cos my wife bent my original key and lost the crest. Then she lost the spare one. leaving me with a valet. So I figure I want 3 spares. The big head does make it easier to turn and the light is useful if you don't want to poke around at the keyholes in the dark.