My vehicle is 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout which I purchased as a used vehicle in Melbourne Australia with only 16,000 kilometers on the clock.

It was supplied with only one key and the seller told me I could easily buy another online and go to an automotive locksmith to have it coded.
 

Skoda Australia quoted me $700 Australian or 370 UK pounds to supply and code a new key.    Initially I decided to make do with one key but recently 

saw a key on Ebay described as  REMOTE KEY 434MHZ1D48 for VW, SKODA, GOLF7   Silver Tail MQB UNIVERSAL.  It had the exact appearance of my

original key.    I bought the key for $24 US dollars.

 

After the key arrived by mail I took it to a specialist automotive locksmith  and he tried to code it but was unsuccessful as he needed a PIN number from Skoda

who would not give it to him.   I was advised to go to a genuine Skoda Dealer and they attempted to code the key without success.  They told me that they

connect to Skoda in CZECH-SLOVAK-REPUBLIC to do the coding but the key was rejected because it was not supplied by Skoda.   They said they went through

the entire process but at the very end of the procedure they received a message that the process had failed.   I was charged a $165 for their failed attempt.

 

I just don't feel like spending $700 for a backup key.   I have heard similar stories about other brands of vehicles and it would seem the manufacturers have

a licence to print money.         

 

Has anyone any suggestions on how I can source a key for a reasonable amount of money.

I recently needed a replacement key for my GTI.  Cost me £210 from VW, so your £370 sounds expensive.  I thought about alternative options, but keys are obviously not meant to be easy to replace, so I presumed it'd be a lot of faff.  Don't know if it's true, but VW told me the key is made in the Wolfsburg Plant and is vehicle specific, before it even arrives in the UK and needs coding to the car.  It certainly took just over a fortnight to get to my local VW.

 

Gaz