These Terms of Service (“Terms”) apply to the Local Car Key website at localcarkey.com and to mobile locksmith work we perform in Stockton, Manteca, Lathrop, Tracy, and French Camp, California. Local Car Key is a mobile locksmith service. Based in Lathrop, CA. Mobile service only — no customer walk-ins.
These Terms are written in plain English for customers. They are not a substitute for a lawyer’s advice about a specific dispute. Rights that California or other applicable law does not allow us to limit stay in place.
1. Agreement to these Terms
By using this website, calling or texting (209) 776-3543 for a quote, requesting service, scheduling service, or authorizing work, you agree to the parts of these Terms that apply to what you are doing.
Submitting a quote request — including using Get a Price, sending a composed text, or leaving a voicemail — does not itself guarantee:
- that we will accept the job;
- that we are available when you want us;
- an arrival time;
- that a key, fob, lock, or vehicle system is compatible;
- that the work can be completed; or
- a fixed price, unless we have actually confirmed a price for a stated scope of work.
The website quote flow runs in your browser and helps you compose a message. It is not an account, a booking confirmation, or a contract to perform work.
2. Services
Local Car Key’s advertised work is automotive-first mobile locksmith service, with residential lock help in the same cities. The approved scope is:
- automotive key replacement;
- all-keys-lost vehicle work;
- spare car keys;
- key fobs and programming where the vehicle supports it;
- push-to-start keys where the vehicle supports it;
- vehicle lockouts;
- house lockouts;
- residential rekey;
- residential lock changes; and
- smart-lock installation.
We do not offer commercial locksmith programs, safes, CCTV, access-control systems, panic bars, or master-key systems on this site. We do not advertise Tesla work or unsupported German-brand vehicle programs.
Service is available for many domestic and Asian vehicles. Send us the year, make and model to confirm.
Whether a job can be done depends on year, make, model, trim, key system, module condition, parts availability, vehicle or lock condition, software and tool availability, access at the location, and authorization. “Where supported” means we confirm those facts before treating a job as doable — not that every car or lock in a category will work on site.
3. Customer authorization and ownership
When you request service, you represent that you own, lease, lawfully possess, or are otherwise authorized to request locksmith work on that vehicle or property.
We may ask for reasonable proof of authorization before or during service. That may include:
- government identification;
- vehicle registration;
- insurance documents;
- title;
- lease or rental paperwork; and
- other documents that reasonably show you may request the work.
We may refuse to start, or we may stop, if authorization cannot be reasonably established. That is for your protection and for everyone else’s.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, you are responsible for losses and claims that result from false statements about ownership or authorization.
4. Customer information
You need to give accurate information for the job. For vehicle work that often includes:
- year, make, model, and trim;
- key type and whether the vehicle uses a regular key or push-button start;
- whether any working key exists;
- the condition of the vehicle, ignition, lock, or fob;
- previous locksmith or programming work;
- aftermarket alarms, remote starts, or other modifications; and
- the location where we should meet you.
For home work, that can include the address, lock type, door condition, how many locks, and whether hardware is customer-supplied.
Incorrect or incomplete information can change compatibility, time on site, required parts, or price. A quote based on what you told us is not a promise that the vehicle or lock will match that description when we arrive.
5. Price before work
A phone or text estimate depends on the accuracy of the information you provide. It is not a published menu of universal flat prices for every car or lock. Different vehicles and lock systems cost different amounts.
If inspection shows a materially different vehicle, lock condition, key system, required part, hidden damage, additional work you request, or another circumstance that changes the scope or price, we will explain the change and get your approval before performing the additional paid work.
You are not required to approve extra work just because a technician arrived. If you decline the changed scope, we will not perform that additional paid work. Any charge that still applies will only be a charge that was already disclosed and that you authorized — for example a disclosed diagnostic or service-call amount, if one was quoted for that visit. We do not invent a trip fee on this website. If no such fee was quoted, none is created by these Terms.
6. Pre-existing conditions
Locksmith work and automotive programming can expose problems that were already there. We are not a dealership body shop, and opening a lock or talking to a vehicle computer does not make us the manufacturer of the car or the lock.
Examples of conditions that may already exist include:
- worn, seized, or broken locks;
- damaged ignition components or wafers;
- worn keys;
- a weak or dead vehicle battery;
- damaged wiring, corrosion, or poor grounds;
- previous locksmith work or failed programming;
- damaged, corrupted, or failing modules;
- ECU/ECM, BCM, immobilizer, or other security-system faults;
- aftermarket alarms or remote-start equipment;
- manufacturer defects or vehicle software problems;
- collision or water damage;
- prior disassembly or incomplete repair;
- damaged doors, trim, or weather sealing; and
- defective residential or smart-lock hardware.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Local Car Key is not responsible for pre-existing damage, defects, wear, prior work, hidden conditions, or failures not caused by our workmanship. This paragraph does not try to waive liability for our own gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or fraud, or for any responsibility that applicable law does not allow us to limit.
7. Electronic programming and immobilizer work
Modern keys and fobs talk to vehicle computers and security systems. Programming and diagnostic steps can be affected by, or can reveal:
- unstable battery voltage;
- failed or corrupted modules;
- gateway or security restrictions;
- software or version incompatibility;
- previous programming attempts;
- aftermarket electronics;
- communication faults; and
- manufacturer security or software changes.
We will use reasonable care and commercially reasonable procedures. Successful programming still cannot be guaranteed for every vehicle or condition. Some vehicles may need more diagnosis, another part, module repair or replacement, dealership or manufacturer access, towing, or another specialist.
We do not promise that every job can be finished on site. If we learn that during the visit, we will tell you what we found and what options we can see from there.
8. Aftermarket and third-party parts
Automotive keys, remotes, fobs, chips, shells, batteries, locks, smart locks, and related parts may be OEM or aftermarket, depending on the job you agree to. Aftermarket does not automatically mean defective.
- Aftermarket products may differ in branding, materials, look, range, button layout, battery, features, or manufacturer support.
- Compatibility is vehicle-specific or lock-specific.
- OEM-equivalent appearance or function is not promised unless we expressly say so for that job.
- Manufacturer trademarks belong to their owners.
Local Car Key is an independent mobile locksmith. We are not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with vehicle manufacturers. Brand names on this site describe compatibility, not a dealer relationship.
If we describe an aftermarket part and you agree to it, that choice itself is not a defect in the work.
9. Customer-supplied keys, fobs, and hardware
If we agree to try cutting, programming, or installing something you supply — a key, remote, fob, transponder, lock, smart lock, or other hardware or electronic part — we cannot guarantee authenticity, history, compatibility, condition, prior programming or lock status, manufacturer quality, completeness, or successful programming.
Unless we agree otherwise in writing:
- Local Car Key does not provide a warranty on customer-supplied products;
- any manufacturer or seller warranty stays between you and that seller; and
- labor, diagnostic, travel, cutting, or programming charges may still be payable for authorized work we actually performed, even if a defective or incompatible customer part does not work.
A failed attempt is payable only if the price or fee for that attempt was disclosed and you agreed to it before we made the attempt. These Terms do not create a hidden attempt fee.
10. Cut, programmed, or customized items
Once a key has been cut, programmed, paired, configured, or otherwise prepared for a particular vehicle or lock, it is a customized item. It usually cannot be returned and resold as generic stock.
Refund and remedy rights remain subject to applicable law and to any written warranty or workmanship obligation that actually applies to that job.
11. Lockout and entry work
Where it is appropriate, we prefer reasonable non-destructive methods. Lock condition, security design, and damage that is already there can limit what is possible.
If drilling, replacement, disassembly, destructive entry, or other work that can damage an existing component becomes necessary, we will tell you when we reasonably can and get authorization before that additional destructive work.
You understand that a lock or component that is already failed or worn may break, or may show hidden damage, during service. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for that pre-existing condition. This does not waive liability for our own gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing, or for duties the law does not allow us to avoid.
12. Residential hardware and smart locks
House lock, rekey, lock-change, and smart-lock work depends on facts at the door, including:
- existing door preparation;
- backset and bore size;
- door and frame alignment;
- existing damage; and
- hardware compatibility.
Smart locks also depend on the manufacturer’s app, account, network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cloud systems. Those third-party systems are outside our control. Outages, account locks, and manufacturer changes are not locksmith defects.
Customer-supplied smart locks are also covered by Section 9.
13. Service completion and no guarantee of outcome
We will make reasonable efforts to complete the agreed service. There is no guarantee that every vehicle, key, module, or lock issue can be finished on site.
If we cannot complete the job because of a condition outside our control — for example an unsupported system, a failed module, missing manufacturer access, or a part that cannot be obtained that visit — we will explain that. A previously disclosed and authorized service-call, diagnostic, or labor charge may still apply if one was quoted and you agreed to it. These Terms do not add a fee that was never quoted.
14. Arrival times and delays
Local Car Key is a mobile service. Any arrival window we give is an estimate, not a guaranteed appointment clock. Traffic, a prior job that runs long, weather, parts, the location you give us, access problems, and emergencies can delay arrival.
This website does not promise a fixed response time, 24/7 coverage, or a set number of minutes to arrival.
15. Payment
Payment is due for authorized completed work at the price we agreed with you. Additional paid work needs your approval first, as described in Section 5.
This website does not list payment methods and does not process card numbers. How you pay is agreed at the time of service.
16. Inspection and issues after service
If you report a defect or a programming problem, we may need the vehicle, key, fob, or lock hardware made reasonably available so we can inspect and test it before deciding responsibility or a remedy.
Any warranty, if offered, will be stated on the invoice, receipt, or other written service documentation. These Terms do not create a numbered warranty period.
Where the law allows, a warranty — if one is given in writing — does not cover:
- normal wear;
- battery depletion;
- water or impact damage after the visit;
- lost or stolen items;
- misuse or tampering;
- third-party modification after our work;
- vehicle or manufacturer software changes after the visit;
- unrelated module or electrical faults; or
- customer-supplied products.
17. Limitation of liability
We are responsible for our own workmanship. These Terms do not say we are never responsible for damage caused by our service.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Local Car Key is not responsible for:
- pre-existing conditions and hidden defects;
- manufacturer defects;
- third-party products or software, including vehicle and smart-lock manufacturer systems;
- customer-provided products;
- losses caused by inaccurate information you gave us; or
- indirect or consequential losses from delay or vehicle unavailability, where those losses may legally be excluded.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that applicable law does not allow us to exclude or limit, including liability for our own gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or fraud where the law preserves that responsibility.
These Terms do not include an arbitration clause, a class-action waiver, or a dollar cap on damages. Those kinds of clauses would need separate legal review.
18. Indemnity for unauthorized service requests
To the extent permitted by law, a person who falsely represents their authority to request service is responsible for claims and losses caused by that false representation, including claims by the actual owner.
19. Intellectual property and website use
Website text, layout, graphics, and design are owned by Local Car Key or our licensors. You may use the site for lawful personal purposes — reading about services, calling, texting, or starting a quote.
You may not:
- interfere with the site in a malicious way;
- scrape or copy the site at a scale that harms security or availability;
- impersonate Local Car Key or another person; or
- use the site to commit fraud.
Vehicle brand names are used only to describe compatibility. They remain the owners’ marks.
20. Third-party links and services
Phone calls and texts use your carrier. If you follow a map, pay a processor, use a manufacturer or smart-lock app, or use another third-party tool, that company has its own terms and privacy policy. We are not responsible for those services.
21. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without deciding whose conflict-of-law rules apply.
If a court venue is legally required or permitted for a dispute about these Terms or our service, the parties may use the state courts in San Joaquin County, California, where that is legally permitted. This is not a mandatory arbitration clause.
22. Severability, changes, and contact
If a court finds one part of these Terms unenforceable, the rest still applies. If a part would be valid with a narrower reading, it should be read that way.
We may update these Terms. The “last updated” date at the top will change. The version in effect when you request or authorize a job applies to that job, unless a later written agreement says otherwise.
Questions about these Terms: call or text (209) 776-3543. We do not publish a public legal email address or a walk-in shop. Based in Lathrop, CA.
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