Hmmm, I wonder....

[It shouldn't]

Old guy comes shuffeling through the door of the locksmiths shop.
Me: How can I help you?
OG: Need key!
Me: *standing expectantly, with my hand out waiting for him to hand over a key to be copied*
OG: .......
Me: ........
OG: Need key for Hyundai *throws a paper folded into 1" spare at me*
Me: *unfolds paper, it's a title for a Hyundai* I'm sorry I can't make keys from the VIN #, I don't have access to that data base.
OG: Oh, I have code. How much?
Me: $12.50 plus tax
OG: My brother is car dealer in *other city* he don't pay tax.
Me: OK, all I need is a tax exempt certificate.
OG: I don't have with me, but I can call for number.
Me: I can give you the form to fill out, as long as you have the tax number.
OG: $12.50 is too much. Locksmith in *other city* charge us $9.
Me: On my price chart here, it's $12.50, sorry

****
15 minute bitch session ensues about how $12.50 is too much, and locksmiths in other city only charges him $9. I finally tell him, that I'm just the employee and can only go by the price chart. He has two choices:
- Have me make the key and pay $12.50
- Or go to locksmiths in *other city*
"Next please"

He goes out to his Mercedes, to call his brother. Comes back in, cause he's decided to get the key made, even though locksmiths in other city charges $9, we are too expensive, blah, blah blah.

I make the key, ring him up and as he's walking out the door, the phone rings.

It's the other locksmith in town.
"hey, have you heard?" He asks. " No, what" I say
He goes on "I just heard, locksmith in *other city* died yesterday"

Me:
Other locksmith: Why is that funny?

I told him the story and we both had a good laugh

[Shalom]

$12.50 for a key by code for an imported car seems awful cheap to me. When I worked as a locksmith, we were charging $25 and up for any double-sided key by code, and that was 20 years ago.

Of course our location in Manhattan may have had something to do with that.

(I'm a pharmacist now, but I keep my NYC locksmith license current, just for the hell of it. Never know when you'll have lockpicks in your pocket and have to prove that you're legally in possession of them...)

[Andara Bledin]

Huh. I just got a spare key made for my car from a local dealership, and it cost $6 + tax.

Even so, $12 for a key vs $9 for a key isn't enough difference to even sweat over.

^-.-^

[Mnemjian]

Even so, $12 for a key vs $9 for a key isn't enough difference to even sweat over.

Really! I don't know how far away the other city is, but I'm guessing after fuel and time spent driving, it just wouldn't be worth it.

That guys manners were AMAZING, by the way