Yep....ACE is the place... :0) and they have a 20% off coupon today...find it online...

That is so funny, I can't even get a door key made right at 2 of our Ace Hardware.

If you don't have a key to copy, don't you have to order one from the dealer. I thought newer cars had chips in the keys and have to be ordered???

It's time to work on why you're locking yourself out and losing your keys. Vehicle keys are horribly expensive....it would irritate the heck out of me to ever lose one.

Emma,

Yes, new car keys have chips, but Ace has the technology to copy them.

I have never had a problem with Ace keys althoughI've never had a car key copied.

I'm so sorry. So far you are into this $275, and that's a lot! But...why are you calling it a "tax?" Sounds to me like it's just the price of a key, not a tax. Anyway, put it behind you and go on to a happier day!

We now have that type of key. Basic rule here is that if you are not taking the car the key stays in the house. My friend's husband lost their car key - and he didn't have the car - cost was $400 (Cdn.).

The dealerships have some keys on hand and they do not cost them what they will charge you for the key. Our price would be about $240 Cdn. - plus tax.

The Ace Hardware store does not copy a key to include the micro chip - ask me how I know. The key they will make for you will only unlock the door.

I am assuming your car doesn't have OnStar. If it does, you need to keep the number in a separate place so they can remotely unlock it for you.

Did you leave them on the seat? I can't lock my car without the keys, therefore if they are not in my hand, car will not be locked. Scratching my head on this one.
We have two cars and neither one will lock manually if key is in ignition.

What year and model is the OP's Honda? It's sort of difficult to lock oneself out of one's car these days. My car doesn't have a key -- only a "fob" that has to be either in my purse or a pocket in order to start the car. (It starts and stops by pushing a button.) All I have to do to unlock or lock the car is touch a door handle, but if I wanted, I could unlock (or lock) it remotely with the fob. If the fob is left inside the car, it won't lock and will sound a warning beep until the fob is removed from inside the car.

My car came with two fobs, and I know it's expensive if one has to be replaced. One fob always remains in the house, and the other is always with me. (It's my car, and even when Hubs drives, I'm with him and the fob is with me.) To get the seat, steering wheel, and mirror positions to Hubs' preferences, all he has to do is push a button on the driver's door and everything will adjust to his pre-set preferences.

This ad implies that the Ace Hardware can indeed copy the chiphttp://toolesacehardware.com/services/key-cutting/

When I bought my Nissan Murano, I tried to lock the car with the keys in it. It did not work and beeped repeatedly. If the doors are not completely closed I get the same noise. I really like those features. Also I don't have to put my key in the ignition to drive.

I called it "Stupid Tax" because it's costing me $275 to fix this mistake. I was trying to be funny, calling it Stiupid Tax. I know real taxes go to the government. Since a locksmith couldn't make a duplicate key, i didn't think of checking with Ace or another hardware store. The key has push buttons on the handle. It's all one piece, not a separate fob. Hope this makes sense.

OHHHH, I get it! You have to explain things to me, LOL! Clever girl, you are!

I must be really stupid because even with the explanation, I still don't understand the tax bit. And I know nothing about keys with chips, so I don't really know why I'm in here. LOL WAIT! Have you looked on Ebay? I know my car guy told me to never lose my key, that it would be expensive to replace and someone else told me that you can find them on Ebay and reprogram them for a pittance compared to replacement prices.

When the need has arisen (and it has - more than once), we have purchased keys on ebay and had the dealership program them for a fee. Way cheaper. And DH is a good haggler, and often a set price is not really a set price when he's around.

I get it now!! Tax on stupid?

I don't understand the tax reference either...

Hmmm...I must be dense because I'm not getting the reference to "tax."

Yes, ACE Hardware can make a copy of a Honda key, but it must have one of the original keys to copy. The reason: The key contains a 'recognition' chip that must be coded. After the new key is cut, ACE uses a key code reader to read the original key and to transfer a copy to the new key. ACE charged me $70 to make a copy. They claimed most of the charge was to help pay for the code reader/writer.

The new key will not contain the remote lock/unlock/panic functions. After I bought a used Honda CR-V, had a pair of spare keys made. One was for an alternate driver when we travel.

The 'tax' is a reference to the money spent on the key. Had the OP not lost her spare key, and then locked the remaining key in the car, she would not have had to pay the charges for getting the car open and making another spare key, she feels stupid for what happened and is describing the money paid as a 'stupid tax'.

Personally I don't agree. We all lose things once in a while, I'm sorry the OP had to go through this.

Jemdandy, the OP does have an original that Ace could make a copy from, it was in the car.

if the government collected stupid tax from us there would be no deficit.

If government officials were charged stupid tax on the way they handled many issues there would be no deficit.

I've paid plenty of "stupid tax" in my life.

Hope for the best
Expect the worst
Life is a play
We're unrehearsed.

--Woody Allan (I think)

I just found my spare key... and promptly left it where I found it. Misplaced it when I moved in to my house in 2012.

I am soooooooo glad, I found it, cause it isn't a key, it is a fop. I wish, I had a key. No matter what, if I was you, I would get one from Ace, even if it would only unlock the car. Cause if you had one of them at home, in a safe place you could remember... ;) Then you could have gone back and unlocked your car.

Once, on a trip to California with my oldest daughter she had to wear a key on a string, in case her forgetful mom would lock the key in the car again...
that was about 30 years ago.

My fop, won't let me lock my car till the drivers door is closed. Annoying at times.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do now.

Moni

I wear my truck key on a lanyard around my neck. If I didn't............