Lost your only key? Here’s exactly what happens
An all-keys-lost job sounds like a disaster, but it’s a routine one for us. Here’s the process, so you know what you’re paying for: first we verify you own the vehicle (V5C or insurance in your name, plus photo ID — every time, no exceptions). Then we read the lock or the vehicle’s systems to generate the key data — no working key needed. A new blade is cut on the machine in the van, and finally the new key is programmed to your car’s immobiliser with the same class of diagnostic kit a main dealer uses. You watch it start. Job done.
Compare that with the dealer route: recovery truck to the dealership (you have no key, remember), a key ordered on days-to-weeks of lead time, and a bill that’s usually about double ours before you’ve paid for the tow.
Your reg gets you one fixed number — usually back within minutes.
Stolen keys — the part most people miss
If your keys were stolen rather than lost, a new key is only half the job. The crucial half is deleting the old keys from the car’s immobiliser so the stolen key becomes a dead lump of plastic — it won’t unlock, it won’t start, and your car stops being a target sitting on your drive. We do this as standard on stolen-key jobs, and it’s worth telling your insurer you’ve had it done.
Car key cutting — we come to you
Typed “car key cutting near me”? Here’s the straight answer: we cut car keys at your door across Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire — cut to code from the vehicle itself when there’s no key left to copy, or from your working key when there is — and the chip is programmed to your car in the same visit. That last part is the bit a shop counter can’t finish without your car standing next to it, and it’s why the van carries both the cutting machine and the programming kit. One visit, one fixed price from your reg, quoted before we set off.
Just want a backup cut from a key that still works? That’s a cheaper, quicker job — head to spare car keys (from £70). Key cut but the buttons or chip playing up? That’s programming, not cutting — we do that at your door too.
Why keys have to be programmed, not just cut
Every car sold in the UK since October 1998 carries an immobiliser: a chip in the key must answer the car’s challenge before the engine will start. A key that’s only been cut will turn the lock and nothing else. It’s why a heel-bar kiosk can’t help, and why the van carries programming equipment for all the major makes — Ford, Vauxhall, VW group, BMW, Mercedes, the Japanese and Korean brands, and most of the rest.
Guide prices for every key type are on the prices page. Got a working key and just want a backup? That’s a cheaper job — see spare car keys. And if you want to understand the numbers before you ring, our guide to what a replacement key costs goes through each key type.
Lost key questions, answered straight
Can you replace car keys if I've lost every single one?
Yes — all-keys-lost is our bread and butter. We generate the key data from the vehicle itself, cut a new blade, then program it to the immobiliser at your location. Most vehicles are driving again the same day, with no tow to a dealer.
My keys were stolen — is my car safe once you've made new ones?
Yes. As part of a stolen-key job we delete the old keys from the car's immobiliser, so even if the thief has your key in their hand, it will open nothing and start nothing.
How long does a replacement key take?
With a working key to copy: usually 20–40 minutes at your door. All keys lost: typically one to two hours depending on the vehicle's security. Either way it's one visit — the van carries the blanks, chips and programming kit.
What does a replacement car key cost?
Spares from £70; remote/flip keys £100–£250; all keys lost £180–£550 depending on the car. One fixed price from your reg before we set off — see our published price list.
Can Halfords, Timpson or B&Q cut car keys?
For a plain steel blade, often yes — a high-street counter can copy one while you wait, and if that's genuinely all your car needs, it's a fair option. Most cars since October 1998 need more: the new key's chip has to be programmed to the car's immobiliser, which means the key and the car have to meet. That's the half we bring to your door — blade cut and chip programmed at the vehicle, one visit, one fixed price from your reg.
Can you just cut my key without programming it?
If it's a plain non-chip blade, yes. But on almost every car since 1998 a cut-only key will open the door and then refuse to start the engine, so we cut and program together in one visit — it's the only version of the job that ends with you driving. Got a working key and just want a backup? That's our cheapest job — see spare car keys, from £70.
