Went in for a key replacement. The service was great and at a reasonable price. Personable and friendly.

After being assured that a new FOB/key for my '05 prius -= made from an old FOB that was clearly compromised, would likely clear up the problem of the doors unlocking immediately after being locked, I went ahead and got the new key (for $465, as I recall -- very expensive!). The empoloyee who made the key then tried it with the prius (which I had moved into the driveway at the shop, with their permission). It had exactly the same problem: unlocking instantly after locking it with the FOB. AT this point, the employee was willing to quickly take the panel off the driver's door to see if there was a problem with the key programming or if it was likely a different issue at play. I thanked him, but the OWNER of the shop intervened and said that the service was over and there was nothing to talk about with me or offer any further service. I do believe this was very cold and unfair since I has been assured that it would most likely be the problem and the employee said that it would only be a few minutes. I will definitely NOT be returning and I will no longer refer my friends and colleagues to Rex Key. read more

This place is amazing! My husband and I came in on a random weekday with multiple requests - a duplicate Ridgeline key (with fob), a duplicate Vespa key (with a chip) and a regular house key duplicate. They were very knowledgeable and helpful, and I actually learned a few things from them which made the visit even more interesting! The guy was even nice enough to replace a missing screw on our fob which wasn't necessary but extremely kind in the gesture. We really appreciated their help, and in the future, they will be our go-to place for key replacements! :) read more

I recommend this store highly but TAMMY a dum ass to the highest degree and does not know how to follow directions whatsoever. Ask for someone else if she's the one you are talking to at that moment. read more

We had two copies of a house key made. We were out in less than 5 minutes. Very helpful.

I've been going to Rex for 5 years now, for both personal and business needs. Overall, the service has been very good and friendly. Unfortunately, I can only give Rex 2 stars because of a couple things... (1) Half of the duplicates work well--I hand in the originals, and trust Rex to produce duplicates that work well. More than half of them worked well in the past, and their quality has declined to less than half of them working well in the past few months in which I've ramped up the amount of duplicates I am requesting from them for business purposes. (2) I went in today to ask for some blanks that my company requested, to have on hand. I received a high degree of attitude, scorn, mockery, and sarcasm from the employee I worked with today. It was so uncomfortable that I do not feel like ever using Rex's services again. I hope Rex knows that is an excellent way to lose a long-term customer. I understand if Rex isn't willing to distribute blanks, for whatever reasons, but I did not deserve the treatment and manner of that refusal and I will not risk receiving that kind of customer service in the future. I'll go elsewhere for my needs. read more

The team here is great. I searched everywhere to get my 2014 car key copied. Unfortunately a lot of places near me couldn't duplicate car keys past 2014 with fobs. I was recommended this place from another locksmith in my town. The process was fast. Another service they offer is adding buttons to the duplicated copy; to do so they need to run a diagnostic on your car which ranges ~$250. I opted out of this because I was in a hurry, but good to know. As I tried the copied key to my car, it wouldn't turn. I came back and they immediately helped me and made changes to the copy. They told me if I have any more problems, to park my car nearby and they can take a look at it. When I tried it again, it worked after a few tries, eventually unlocking my car. I'm very thankful for the team here! My wallet is crying but glad I have a duplicate now. Thank you so much. read more

Rex Key is TOPS, the absolute best locksmith in the East Bay. The keys they make always work (unlike, for example, keys made at the hardware store, Home Depot etc). The employees are pros, with years of experience. I own a few apartments, which means I have a continual need for keys, and after 35 years, keys made by Rex always go in smoothly, with no hassles such as the need to jiggle the kay in the lock or apply pressure at differnt angles, In addition to keys making, I have used Rex for lock installation and emergencies. Great quick service. In addition, this small business, which has been around a long time, has a great ambience-- relaxed and also efficent. The guys in the shop are humane, intuitive, and fun to talk to. If you've made a mistake of some kind, they will usually help you out. I cannot recoomend this business highly enough! read more

I went to Rex's needing to have the battery in my key fob replaced and a spare car key made for my car. They were very transparent with pricing, quick and efficient! The guy that helped me even lubricated the lock on my car because I mentioned it was sticky. read more

Our old electronic lock broke and we needed to replace it. The door had settled over the years so we also needed the frame repaired so the new lock could work. I called a little before noon today and they said they could have someone out between noon and 2:00. I think they were done by 3:30 p.m.! The technician was great and we have a secure new lock, would highly recommend them. read more

Fair pricing, ultimate professionalism, and great knowledge all add up to a wonderful business experience

Service was friedly and quick, however, they couldn't make a key copy that worked. I needed a house key copied and stopped by Rex's because ACE Hardware doesn't cut keys on Fridays. Unfortunately, neither of the two keys I had copied worked when I got home. I had to return to have them recut, and then they STILL didn't work! Very disappointed that a Lock & Key shop cannot successfully copy a house key. Will be returning for a refund and going back to ACE hardware in the future. read more

Ryan at Rex Keys is awesome - I brought him a key that Nissan messed up and he was able to fix it. He also made me two code cut keys that the Nissan dealerships I called weren't able to make (they were going to copy it from the worn out key and turnaround time was 1-2 weeks), AND he helped rekey one of my door cylinders. Service was super fast here (Everything was done the same day) and the pricing is transparent/better than anyone I've called in the east bay. 10/10 will be coming back for any key/lock help I need in the future! read more

Great, old-school lockshop. They make clean, smooth key copies - including a complicated one for a home safe. They work fast and have a sense of humor! read more

They replaced my battery in my car key fob, cleaned it and showed me how to use my emergency key and my lanyard. A wealth of info and great customer service above and beyond. read more

We had an ok experience. We were in a unique situation in that we needed to rekey the locks in 4 exterior doors on our boat while we had it out of the water in the boatyard. It's an older boat with older brass lock sets on sliding doors. When scheduling, we were quite clear about 4 matching locks needing rekeying and two of them needing repair to operate smoothly. The office was great about getting someone scheduled to come out within a few days (this wasn't an urgent lockout experience, so that was perfectly fine.) Michael arrived and was a bit put off by needing to park on the street and walk a bit to get to us inside the busy boatyard we don't control. It wasn't a great tone setter to hear "well, you're paying for my time" when we explained the parking situation. We had several other projects in the works and several other vendors coming and going. He got right to work, and seemed a bit frustrated by the locks needing repair. When we asked for an estimate for how long it might take, and by proxy, what it might cost, he said "it'll take as long as it takes." Another not so great vibe. We chalked his demeanor up to his being in the industry a long time, and expected that experience to equate to expertise that would yield solid results. Of the 4 locks, 2 were rekeyed effectively, including one of the two he repaired. Of the other two, he wasn't able to remove the lock set to rekey one because someone had used a too long screw in it and he said it would destroy the lock to try and remove it. His recommendation for that one was to break an only key off in the lock so no one with the old key could use it, and to lock and unlock it from the inside only. Not a great solution, but we accepted it not being rekeyed rather than it being damaged. The fourth lock, which required repair, was the most problematic and time consuming. When we asked questions or offered assistance, he was pretty dismissive. Where it stood when he left, and still stands is that it can't be unlocked from the inside, which we are finding to be a safety risk. At Michael's advice, I ran out for some new brass screws to replace the old ones holding the lock sets together, and by the time I returned, he was finished, had invoiced for over $500, asked for a check, and left. End result: We have 2 lock sets that work as expected, one that is as it was when he arrived (not rekeyed) and one that doesn't work as expected, and is problematic. All for over $500. Not the best experience, and we'll have to pay for someone else to come finish the job properly. read more

I always get a smile on my face when I walk in the door here. That's because all the guys are so friendly and capable, and obviously know their stuff and enjoy their business and life. I've used them mostly for key copies, starting when I had some barely usable copies made at another place. Rex has great service, always with a smile. Their copies are perfect, read more

TL;DR - Highly recommend. Though the reason I came to Rex Key & Security wasn't resolved, I am writing based on the service I did receive. I came to have my car's FOB programmed. I called to make sure they had the code for my make and model and woman and the gentleman I spoke with on the phone were very nice and helpful. When onsite, the techs that helped me tried two different scanners to make sure they troubleshot until they called it to be a larger issue. They did not charge me for the time they spent trying to program my FOB which made me want to write this review. I appreciated the help every step of the way and any future key needs I may need, I will not hesitate to contact Rex Key & Security. read more

Asked for a key duplication. First one didn't work. Came back the next day to have it reworked. When I left I looked at the key and noticed that the 2nd key would also not fit in the lock. Went back in to ask about it and they said it would work for sure - it didn't. At least I only wasted 15$. read more

I needed a rare key to be copied only Rex had it. thay have always given the best service

My car was stolen in Oakland some days ago and in my car were our house keys. We called up Rex Key and Security to replace all of the house locks and they sent out Ian to help us get our home back in order. Ian was amazing - he spent a few hours carefully setting up the new locks, paying careful attention to detail and ensuring that our new locks and keys worked perfectly. Ian was also super friendly, fun to talk to, and really kind to my dog. Rex also only charged us for replacing the keys and some of the lock components, and their quote was a full $1000-1800 lower than anyone else we called. Mind you, we had used them in the past to install our initial locks so the lower prices is largely attributed to that - still though, they had the option to gouge us if they wanted to, and didn't. We really appreciated the way the worked with us during this stressful time. Thanks Ian, you rock!!! read more

Really helped me out with the correct lock parts. Friendly, efficient service! Nice folks!

I brought Jacob two new keys for my Prius that I needed programmed along with the two old broken ones. Not only did he program the new ones, he replaced the battery on one of the old ones that I thought was broken and now I have three working keys! read more

Excellent, knowledgeable, and fast. What more could you ask for? These folks are awesome!

The staff here are experts on keys and locks. They also are really nice and helpful. I have come in several times for key copying (always fast and always well cut). I also recently had problem with a bike U-lock that was jammed and stuck to my bike. I took it to several bike shops and they had no idea what to do. The guys at Rex welcomed the challenge with, eventually, three of them all working on it. Because it was really jammed in a weird way, it took a while. And once they got it off, I was charged a grand total of zero dollars! read more

I lost my keys and needed lockout service for my residence as well as a new lock for my mailbox. I didn't like that upon my initial call, the dispatcher, Tammy, seemed exasperated with my trying to explain the problem to her and even stopped me mid-sentence to tell me that I keep talking, so she'll wait. Of course she should wait, I haven't finished explaining what I'm looking for! She also kept calling me "honey" as if I was 16 years old. Finally, I was given a quote of $145 for the lockout, new key, and new mailbox lock. She set up the service, but after some time, the tech, Jeff, called and said I was misquoted and that service alone would be $200 not including the cost of the mailbox lock. I asked if there was any discount he could give because I was misinformed. He said that usually they charge for the cost of the door key and that was going to be his discount for me. Thank goodness I sent out a Yelp Message Quote after getting the price hiked on me! Two different shops quickly returned with much more reasonable quotes, close to the original quote from Rex. I didn't even tell them what I was being quoted by Rex; they simply gave me their standard pricing, and it was fair. I canceled with Rex. I believe that the price was being changed on me because I sounded young and unknowledgeable on the phone, and that's not right. Sticking to what you tell a customer is so important for a business because it builds trust in the service as well as a potential returning customer. I won't be calling back for my locksmith needs. read more

Nowadays, it seems like every locksmith is mobile and with that comes a mobile price. Fortunately, this place still exists. If you are just looking for simple, key cuts or they can also do the fancy stuff -- prices and service are better and the team is super friendly. Glad I found this place today. read more

Super friendly and skilled team! Cut and programmed two key fobs for my toyota rav4 and even threw in a third key but at the price for two. Will be back! read more

Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Needed 2 keys for my pick. Called on a Friday order the keys picked them Up on a Tuesday. Spoke with a tech name Dan I swear this was coolest guy ever. He was very knowledgeable n helpful. Prices are fair n service was great. read more

Love this place. So helpful. Of course they are busy and the service leans towards people who have a clue. Much better if you have a clue. If a newb they are still helpful. But they don't suffer fools who ask too many questions. They assume a certain level of knowledge which admittedly most people won't have. But still don't be afraid. Go and ask. And yes a door lock set will be more expensive than going to Home Depot. But they will rekey it to match your other keys. And it will be better quality. You get what you pay for here. They also helped me out with broken lock sets and gave me odd pieces for free if they had them. This is a business that a hope survives. It's needed. read more

Gr8 service and prompt response to urgent key replacement. Highly recommend this Rex Key for any and all locksmith services.

Pat did a fantastic job programming a new key fob for my 2006 Toyota Prius today. It was a lower price than the Toyota dealership quoted, and the key fob worked perfectly, starting, remote lock/unlock, etc. I was in and out of there in about 20 minutes. He was extremely knowledgeable explained the details of the programming process. They also allowed me into the parking lot in the rear of the building which was very convenient. read more

As a school volunteer, I was trying to save a combination lock that accidentally got re-set, locking some cones to a fence. The owner came out immediately to try to get it off the fence and eventually sawed it off, free of charge. Thank you for being so available/willing to help out a Berkeley Public School! read more

Friendly, helpful and kind workers. Ask for Dan he was super nice and helped me replace an ignition block super quickly.

They were available within an hour, fixed both the locks and keys. Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. Highly recommended.

I had some odd size keys for our office filing cabinets, and Rex's Keys was the only place I could find them in the East Bay. I dropped in, and they were very accommodating, and even suggested a great place to eat! read more

Did not have a good experience with the woman who answered the phone. We had all of our locks replaced some time last year (not sure the exact date) and one is giving us trouble probably from the weather hitting it, but the core is twisted in the lock. I tried to explain that twice and both times I was cut off-"what kind of lube?" And "nope, only the last 6 months" I guess won't they warranty our locks and won't look up when the work was actually done. I could barely get a word in. I think she just wanted to get me off the phone and had no intentions of helping me, plus wanted to charge me 80 something dollars to come back out. I won't be calling them again and don't recommend their work or recommend their customer service. read more

Came in with an obscure key to a 1970 Honda for a duplicate. They couldn't match up a blank, obviously it is a less than common key, but the young guy took the time to try and match one up for me. He cut a duplicate and sent me off to try it at no charge. It didn't open the door lock, but it started the car. Worst case scenario is I'll have to find a replacement window somewhere (lol), but I'll be able to drive the lil beast. Came back, ready to pay for the service, and he told me no charge...it was basically a challenge. They got me more than what I came in with, and took the time to help as best they could. Here's to another eternity of being in business on University Ave. Thank You! read more

Rex Key & Security - She roars again! - Keys & Locksmiths Near Me - Berkeley, California

This team is great! I tried three times to get a key cut at 2 different places and I was finally tipped off to Rex Key and Security. They were fast and accurate. And as he said to me as he handed me my keys, have a good day and tomorrow cause I won't be seeing you. True to his word my keys work! I won't be getting keys made anywhere else and will return for all my locksmith needs. read more

Worst customer service imaginable! This business was completely rude to both me and another woman who came at the same time. I called to say I was on my way with a very quick problem. They implied that they would wait. Instead he just sneered and locked the door right in my face! read more