Hello all. 
I’m new here and this is my first post though I have skulked the pages for some years researching a VRS Tdi mk2 I have had my eye for some time.

I spent some time looking before posting and found valid but not specific info regarding my issue.

 

Which is as follows. 
I rented a 2014 Skoda Fabia on holiday. They gave me what I believe is an ignition key. There were no buttons to press on the key at all. After collecting the car and using it for a few days it then refused to run. It would start then the engine cut out and ‘No Key’ appeared on dash.

 

The rental company are blaming me for key damage accusing me of having dropped it or water etc. and want to charge me silly money for a new key.

 

Ok. So the ignition key was kept next to the magnet key for our hotel room which I believe is what the rental company are saying has damaged the key. 

Can the magnet cause this to happen to an ignition key? 
 

I’ve had a look around the web and it seems to suggest that it would o,need to be a very strong rare earth magnet.

 

if I’ve caused damage then fine, I can accept and will pay. It’s their word against mine at the

moment though. It could have been a dodgy key from the beginning, they’d have nothing to lose in letting me take a car where any key damage could be put on the customer as per rental contract.

 

There are also ways to reprogramme the key with a spare locking it from the drivers door etc…

 

Rather than try this, charge the customer ?

 

Any advice/ help/ opinion is welcome and to reiterate if it’s a sure thing that I’ve damaged it then I’ll accept that. 
 

thanks I’m advance everyone 

 

 

 

Which part of the world were you on holiday in that they were renting out a 10 year old car and what do you mean " you believe was an ignition key"  ?? How many years driving experience do you have?

FYI as far as I know a 2014 Fabia will have a standard VAG group 3 button key fob with a flip out blade.

(Why am I getting shades of stolen Ozzy skoda here???)



 

1 hour ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

They gave me what I believe is an ignition key. There were no buttons to press on the key at all.

Ok, given what @Winston_Woof has said, I have a suspicion here.

Would you describe, as completely as you can remember, the design of this key?

Any rental company will always charge for damage incurred whilst the hired item is in the exclusive care of the hirer, the logic is simple; it's not the hire companies fault, therefore it's yours. That's what the small print is for, you can't win so just pay up and hire a much newer vehicle from a more reputable company next time.

1 hour ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

It’s their word against mine at the

moment though.

 

That made me laugh!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Whose word do you think counts?

 

FWIW I very much doubt that you could have done anything to damage and old school immobiliser key short of pulling it apart and breaking the RFID chip but they hold all the aces, they will have preauthorised your credit card or taken a cheque as a damage deposit, they will simply take what they want out of that whether you feel you can accept it or not.

Lol

Thanks for your reply Woolf

Im in Crete. 
and you response kinda highlights my suspicions to be fair.

 

The key they gave me was not a three button job.

that’s my point

 

 

thanks to all for your replies

 

Thank you JR this is what I was suspecting.

 

Regarding the aces they have not taken any credit card details.

 

and like I’ve mentioned, if it transpires I am to blame I’ll pay. 

22 minutes ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

The key they gave me was not a three button job.

that’s my point

 

 

That was probably the spare key. Someone probably lost the fob key previously (and was charged for it).

That’s what I’m thinking @Jocko

 

@Paws4ThotThe key they gave me was without any buttons and much like the one attached. I think there was a Skoda badge on it

 

the company replaced the car with a 2023 Fabia (at no extra cost)

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

The question I need to find an answer for is whether a magnet hotel key could damage this type of key due to proximity ?

9 minutes ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

The question I need to find an answer for is whether a magnet hotel key could damage this type of key due to proximity ?

Very unlikely to affect a proper RFID key - which, I have to say, does not appear to be what you have pictured.

Thank you @Warrior193

Plain keys without the remote control buttons can still have an RFID chip, all vehicles since around 1995 have had them and in the early years at least many if not most were not remote control keys.

 

Given the immobiliser cutting in and the dash display its fairly certain that the key contains an embedded RFID chip.

 

These will no be affected by magnetic fields, indeed they are designed to function within one.

 

They are trying it on regarding the key and their speculation as to how you are supposed to have damaged it but hire companies have loads of tricks they can exploit, more often its the budget ones that do so.

7 hours ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

The key they gave me was without any buttons and much like the one attached.

That is an "emergency door key" and not an ignition key. You owe them nothing since you have not damaged the key.

10 hours ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

The question I need to find an answer for is whether a magnet hotel key could damage this type of key due to proximity ?

are you talking about the credit card type hotel keys?

Not enough magnetism in them to worry anything  and nor more than a typical credit card 


(TBH I'm still getting whiffs of 3 replacement fobs & stolen cars)

Thanks all. Must say it’s a bit stressful having my family here on holiday with this hanging over my head. 
 

The company was recommended by experienced traveller to Crete. 
 

I’ve declared without concrete proof that I caused this damage I won’t be paying anything further. They have told me a manager will be at the depot to collect the cash payment. They also stated that should I need an invoice for the key payment (had I agreed) it would be another 24% on top of the €250. Car rental firms do my nut in

 

Would you folks be thinking then that if the magnetic field couldn’t have damaged the key there was something else that was already iffy? That they may have known about??

 

Again I’m v grateful for your time and opinions 

 

im going to be calling Skoda today to get a technicians advice too and I’ll let you know how things transpire. Because I’m sure you’re all enthralled!!! LOL

@Winston_Woof

No not a credit card style key. It was a separate fob type thing attached to a normal door key. The fob magnet was then located in a ‘holder’ beside the entry door, activating the power to the room

oooooh a special fob magnet holder to turn on power in a hotel room.

That would be annoying as with the majority of hotel rooms (in my experience)  you can normally use any credit card sized piece of plastic to turn power on as all they are really is are mechanical switches


What this thread needs is a picture  of this special fob and fob holder 
 

Lol. 
I doubt anything fancy but more like an old system that’s not been updated

unfortunately we are no longer at that hotel but the one we are in now has a similar system I will send a picture asap

I'm still getting 3 keyfobs wrapped in silver foil type vibes about this................

@Winston_Woof from me or from them?? 
 

a engineer friend sent me this link

https://www.supermagnete.de/eng/faq/What-is-the-safe-distance-that-I-need-to-keep-to-my-devices

which is quite detailed 

 

and please enjoy an exciting picture of the hotel key fob similar but not as ‘heavy duty’ as the one alleged to have caused the damage

4 hours ago, Wannaskoda54 said:

Would you folks be thinking then that if the magnetic field couldn’t have damaged the key there was something else that was already iffy? That they may have known about??

 

Again I’m v grateful for your time and opinions 

 

im going to be calling Skoda today to get a technicians advice too

 

Its all irrelevant and you are playing into their hands by trying to find a defence, you are on holiday not preparing for a court of law and even if you were the opinions of random people on the internet count for nothing.

 

Tell them that you havn't broken it, that it opens the car and cranks the engine, you neither know nor care why it doesn't start or what it is going to cost them to fix their non running 10 year old rental vehicle, they will either own the situation or they wont, if you have not paid a deposit what are they going to do?

 

The disinterest in their problem is the key (pun intended!) once you start debating whether your hôtel key fob could have affected it you are playing into their hands, if they could and will get the money out of you by charging your credit card with a customer not present transaction they would not be wasting their time debating, if they can and do then you oppose it and you will get the money refunded unless you have signed something admitting liability.

Edited 2 September, 20241 yr by J.R.