Don't be Left Stranded by the New Car Hire Law

poppasmurf_bewdley

kwmlondon wrote: »

Yes, car companies will get your information from the DVLA but they can't just dial in for this - only the police can do that. To give them access to your highly confidential license information you'll have to got the DVLA website and get a single-use code that is only active for 72 hours. The article I read suggests printing out a copy of this to take in case there's any kind of problem accessing your DVLA records.

By all means, be sceptical, but read the article and tell me what you think:

http://www.carrentals.co.uk/compare/Dont-be-Left-Stranded-by-the-New-Car-Hire-Law.html?e=CR20150421&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CR20150421&utm_term=Carrentals%20Master

I'm due to hire a couple of cars in the UK over the next year and I'll just give them a call a day or two before collecting it to confirm the procedure. For the sake of a quick call I'd advise people check first.

Oh, and if it's a premium rate to call and resolve an issue the hire company will tell you to use your mobile, it will be as much their problem as if you turn up without a driving license - they'll charge you and not give you the car. T&Cs will cover this.

All the hire company need to access the DVLA database, as I said earlier in the thread, is your licence number, NI number and postcode - all information they can ask the hirer when he is stood in front of the reception or on the phone. No need for any code or ringing of premium rate numbers.

peachyprice

benjus wrote: »

The article says:



However I don't think I've ever had to show my counterpart when hiring a car outside the UK (maybe not even inside the UK, but I haven't done that for so long I can't remember). I doubt the average Australian car hire company employee even knows that UK driving licences have counterparts - or are they supposed to learn the formats of all licences in the world and keep this information up to date?

My Dad had to show his paper counterpart at Perth airport (Avis or Hertz I think), which he'd left at home, he had to wait until the next day to get the car due to them not being able to ring the DVLA because of the time difference. The new system of being able to access his licence online immediately would have been much better.

photome

kwmlondon wrote: »

Yes, car companies will get your information from the DVLA but they can't just dial in for this - only the police can do that. To give them access to your highly confidential license information you'll have to got the DVLA website and get a single-use code that is only active for 72 hours. The article I read suggests printing out a copy of this to take in case there's any kind of problem accessing your DVLA records.

By all means, be sceptical, but read the article and tell me what you think:

http://www.carrentals.co.uk/compare/Dont-be-Left-Stranded-by-the-New-Car-Hire-Law.html?e=CR20150421&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CR20150421&utm_term=Carrentals%20Master

I'm due to hire a couple of cars in the UK over the next year and I'll just give them a call a day or two before collecting it to confirm the procedure. For the sake of a quick call I'd advise people check first.

Oh, and if it's a premium rate to call and resolve an issue the hire company will tell you to use your mobile, it will be as much their problem as if you turn up without a driving license - they'll charge you and not give you the car. T&Cs will cover this.

When I got a courtesy car not to long ago and I had forgotten my license the garage made a call to "someone" to get my license details. It wasnt the police,so not sure I believe what you are saying

benjus

peachyprice wrote: »

My Dad had to show his paper counterpart at Perth airport (Avis or Hertz I think), which he'd left at home, he had to wait until the next day to get the car due to them not being able to ring the DVLA because of the time difference. The new system of being able to access his licence online immediately would have been much better.

Interesting... I haven't been to Australia but certainly no-one asked to see my counterpart in Brazil or Italy, the 2 countries I've most recently hired cars in.

Moto2

benjus wrote: »

If you were banned you'd have had to surrender your licence, wouldn't you?

Yes, but any historic disqualifications will be taken into consideration i.e. a lot of companies won't accept you at all if the disqualification was recent or you have more than one disqualification.

thenudeone

benjus wrote: »

If you were banned you'd have had to surrender your licence, wouldn't you?

Not of your disqualification lasts for a short period (IIRC 6 weeks) in which case the court endorses your counterpart with the disqualification (You did take both parts to court didn't you?) and give you both parts back.

At least that's what will happen until June.

peachyprice

benjus wrote: »

Interesting... I haven't been to Australia but certainly no-one asked to see my counterpart in Brazil or Italy, the 2 countries I've most recently hired cars in.

Maybe he was just unlucky. And obviously it was my Mum's fault that he forgot it :rotfl:

Nodding_Donkey

kwmlondon wrote: »

Yes, car companies will get your information from the DVLA but they can't just dial in for this - only the police can do that. To give them access to your highly confidential license information you'll have to got the DVLA website and get a single-use code that is only active for 72 hours. The article I read suggests printing out a copy of this to take in case there's any kind of problem accessing your DVLA records.

By all means, be sceptical, but read the article and tell me what you think:

http://www.carrentals.co.uk/compare/Dont-be-Left-Stranded-by-the-New-Car-Hire-Law.html?e=CR20150421&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CR20150421&utm_term=Carrentals%20Master

I'm due to hire a couple of cars in the UK over the next year and I'll just give them a call a day or two before collecting it to confirm the procedure. For the sake of a quick call I'd advise people check first.

Oh, and if it's a premium rate to call and resolve an issue the hire company will tell you to use your mobile, it will be as much their problem as if you turn up without a driving license - they'll charge you and not give you the car. T&Cs will cover this.

By all means get the code first, but there is no need to ring a premium rate number, it can be done free online.

And it can be done just as easily from the hire companies computer, or in a browser on your phone.

Can you really see a hire company refusing to let you use their facilities to enable you to hire a car from them. That is how they make there money after all.

kwmlondon

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

By all means get the code first, but there is no need to ring a premium rate number, it can be done free online.

And it can be done just as easily from the hire companies computer, or in a browser on your phone.

Can you really see a hire company refusing to let you use their facilities to enable you to hire a car from them. That is how they make there money after all.

1. Can you use the hire company's computer? No. It's THEIR computer and you won't be allowed to come around the desk to try to get a code.

2. Yes, you can log on from your smart-phone to get a code as long as you can get a signal and the website is working etc.

3. If there's an issue then you'll need to call the DVLA (who are only there in office hours and not Sundays)

I just got this from the page for DVLA Driver Licensing Enquiries
"phone 0913 232 9010

Calls cost £1.53p per call plus £1.53p per minute."

Please go to Hertz and try to get them to make a premium rate call from their phone. They will tell you to use your mobile or go to a payphone.

4. Now, at the moment British people will arrive with both parts of their license. The paper bit and the ID card. When they do away with the paper bit EVERYONE with a UK driving license will need to give a single-use code that will only be valid for 72 hours. I am going to make a prediction that many people will have problems with this and that many hire desks will be chaos.

By all means, just leave it until you turn up and sort it out then. All I'm saying is that if you go online and organise it first and print out the screen you may end up saving a lot of time and hassle on the day.

Do whatever you want - it's your choice, all I want is for everyone to be aware of potential problems.

peachyprice

kwmlondon wrote: »

1. Can you use the hire company's computer? No. It's THEIR computer and you won't be allowed to come around the desk to try to get a code.

You think the car hire companies will let droves of business walk out the door rather than inputting your information with your permission? Really?

2. Yes, you can log on from your smart-phone to get a code as long as you can get a signal and the website is working etc.

I'd like to see a car hire office that's so remote you can't get a mobile signal.

3. If there's an issue then you'll need to call the DVLA (who are only there in office hours and not Sundays)

Or just let the desk clerk get the code in their computer.

I just got this from the page for DVLA Driver Licensing Enquiries
"phone 0913 232 9010

Calls cost £1.53p per call plus £1.53p per minute."

Please go to Hertz and try to get them to make a premium rate call from their phone. They will tell you to use your mobile or go to a payphone.

I rather suspect that they have a non-premium rate number to use, but even if they don't they do it now, so why will that change once this new fangled system come into force?

4. Now, at the moment British people will arrive with both parts of their license. The paper bit and the ID card. When they do away with the paper bit EVERYONE with a UK driving license will need to give a single-use code that will only be valid for 72 hours. I am going to make a prediction that many people will have problems with this and that many hire desks will be chaos.

And I make a prediction that the car hire companies are more than capable of dealing with the changes. It's their business to make money, they will make it work.

By all means, just leave it until you turn up and sort it out then. All I'm saying is that if you go online and organise it first and print out the screen you may end up saving a lot of time and hassle on the day.

Do whatever you want - it's your choice, all I want is for everyone to be aware of potential problems.

That's grand for you, but don't try to catastrophize this into something it isn't.