Beta testing a new site idea
 

So I had an idea to find all the transponder keys in the world, well maybe not all of them.

The idea works like this...

If you have a set of keys, go to the forum, type in all the req. info from your old car & a asking price. Honestly do even care about ebay link, etc. Most important aspect is to put in at least the last 6 on the VIN# so the search function works.

If you are looking for a spare key simply go to the search function on the forum and search using the VIN#.

Simple as that.

Reason I have made it a forum in lieu of a subscription database (like carfax) is simply to gauge interest. I'll post some advertising and add vendors as it grows (if).

Currently hidden under my old site domain. Check it out:

FindYourKeys.com

bad idea imho - you're going to piss off a lot of people. I don't want to be contacted out of the blue by the person that bought a car that I sold/traded-in.

I wouldn't respond well to this contact, either.

This is what I need! To see if people would grasp the concept with minimal description. Needs work :D

No one would be able to contact unless you WANTED to post a thread saying you had keys. Then you would sell them for those keys.

If someone is looking for keys, they can post a thread but have no way to contact you.

....any better?

nah...epic fail.

I'll talk to someone I personally sell a car to, but the minute I "trade" a car, it's good riddance....I traded it for a "reason"

You would want to make $100-$200 selling them to the people who bought your car from the dealership?

I don't know how popular it would be, but I'd use it.

Why wouldn't you include the keys when you sold the car?
I would feel like a real a$$ trying to sell something that should have been included with the car. Like the people selling 911 toolkits for a thousand bucks... sheesh.

"I lost the keys. Oh wait, here they are.... that will be $200 please."

Until they argue that they bought the car and therefore own the keys and hassle you to turn them over to the dealer and then hassle the dealer to deliver them.

I've been involved in a number of businesses that deal with the public.

They are generally much crazier, unreasonable, stupid, etc... than any sane person can possibly imagine.

no good can come from this scheme...

Flip the script and ask yourself this question...would you rather pay $450 to have a new pcar key cut or would you rather use this site to find the old ones? Liability aside.

Flip the script and put yourself in a couple of your customer's shoes:

If I bought a used car from a private party, I'd expect to get the extra key. If I didn't, then used the site and had that same seller now offer to sell me the keys I'd be pissed.

If I bought a used car from a dealer, I'd expect to get the extra key. If I didn't, then I'd still feel like I was getting screwed having to pay after the fact for the original key no matter what the "story" was.

If I traded the car in, I don't want contact with the new owner. If I'm a jerk and withheld the keys thinking I could turn a profit, I'm probably both a jerk and an idiot as the odds of getting a "hit" from the new owner are minuscule

Bottom line is if an extra key isn't involved in the original purchase, then a buy should factor that into the purchase price. You're trying to monetize something that shouldn't even be an issue, and users will be annoyed.

Agree with Todd

Your solution may just create the problem that it's supposed to solve.

In an ideal world the key pair should be able to be generated and re-keyed at the owner's whim (probably made somewhat complicated to thwart quick physical attacks). If it were like public/private key based email encryption, the key would encode a message containing the start code, encrypt it with the ignition/door/chastity belt's public key, send it, car would decrypt with its private key, confirm, and fire ignition.


Instead the car makers bend folks over for *more* money...

What happens if the next door neighbor kids buys a key for your car...