MEET KEV
Kev came to Australia from the United Kingdom back in 2011.
He completed Certificate 3 in Locksmithing in Melbourne while working for a locksmithing company and then moved to Hervey Bay in Queensland for about 3 years before making his way south to the Sunshine Coast.
He's owned a locksmithing business on the Sunshine Coast for over 4 years and is now focusing more on the automotive car key market to follow his interests.
How did your business start?
I always wanted to be self-employed. I used to take regular trips to the Sunshine Coast and really loved the lifestyle. After gaining some experience working for a company in Hervey Bay I decided to move to the beautiful Sunshine Coast and start my own business.
What sets Kevs Car Keys apart from other vehicle locksmiths?
We can come to you promptly, often with a same day service and we use only state-of-the-art key cutting and programming equipment. Our Sunshine Coast locksmith services are competitively priced with fast response rates. You can expect friendly, reliable and knowledgeable customer service, offering expert advice on how to best meet your car key cutting needs.
As qualified and experienced locksmiths, we have a great understanding of how to cut keys back to their original factory shape/code, unlike many key cutters and cobblers in shopping centres etc.
In most cases, we can offer a stronger key than the original key. We also offer flip keys which can fold away, have stronger buttons that don’t wear out like many keys do and are less likely to break if sat on etc. as they fold away. Also, some vehicles have a key and separate remote and we are able to create one remote key, saving the client space. And, in most cases we can offer a same day service or within an hour or two if they need emergency car key replacement asap.
Do you offer car key replacement price discounts?
“Yes, the first car key replacement is a standard price (depending on the vehicle) but for any additional keys requested, the price will be discounted. We always make the second car key cheaper than the first. If you’d like to know the discounted second car key replacement price, or the cost of just one car key, please contact us.”
What mobile key cutting machine do you use?
“We use a state of the art key cutting machine which is ideal for roadside key cutting and on-site emergency car key replacement. This machine is a unique electronic vehicle key cutting device, which combines two key cutting stations into one user-friendly, lightweight device for fast and effective vehicle key cutting."
“As for the car key programming equipment, we use a large variety of extremely high-quality car key programming equipment."
What does your typical work day look like?
“At Kevs Car Keys there are never two days the same. We achieve a wide variety of services every day from replacement/spare keys, to all keys lost, to ignition barrel and door lock repairs, all over the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland."
Any vehicle makes and models that are trickier to cut new car keys for or to repair the car ignition on?
“Some cars, such as the older Toyotas (around 1997-2004) are trickier than the newer vehicles. This is because keys cannot be programmed to the vehicle via OBD (on-board diagnostics). Instead, the immobiliser in the vehicle needs to be removed and a procedure called EEPROM is done. This is where you connect to a chip on the circuit board and extract the data and program a new transponder chip (which sits inside the key) to the immobiliser. This is what allows the car to start.”
Any interesting characters you’ve met during your time as an auto car locksmith?
“Actually yes, Nick Cummins, also known as, The Honey Badger! The former Australian professional rugby union player. When he was on the Sunshine Coast, he lost his car keys to his ute canopy so I had to meet him on Gympie Terrace to make new keys to his canopy.”
