Car rental refused for having an EU license

Grey_Critic

So the receptionist was correct in the first - Company Policy requires an IDP if you do not have a UK Licence.

Similar rules apply when driving within Europe - The government website says *you can drive on your UK licence BUT You might need an IDP

When I ran my vehicle hire operation the insurance company laid down certain conditions which some people did not agree with and this is no different. When my youngest used to visit from the USA the hire company rule was anyone from the USA could only have an automatic.

macman

I find it hard to believe that Hertz would refuse to hire a car in the UK to every resident of the EU, with a valid EU licence. This would take out a vast chunk of their potential turnover. 
Do they do the same to US tourists who only hold a US license? 

macman

I find it hard to believe that Hertz would refuse to hire a car in the UK to every resident of the EU, with a valid EU licence. This would take out a vast chunk of their potential turnover. 
Do they do the same to US tourists who only hold a US license? 

Car_54

Grey_Critic said:

So the receptionist was correct in the first - Company Policy requires an IDP if you do not have a UK Licence.

Similar rules apply when driving within Europe - The government website says *you can drive on your UK licence BUT You might need an IDP

When I ran my vehicle hire operation the insurance company laid down certain conditions which some people did not agree with and this is no different. When my youngest used to visit from the USA the hire company rule was anyone from the USA could only have an automatic.

But the 'customer support' guy to whom the OP spoke referred to an "international licence", not an IDP. That suggests that he didn't know what he was talking about. No great surprise there.

DanDare999

Grey_Critic said:

So the receptionist was correct in the first - Company Policy requires an IDP if you do not have a UK Licence.

Similar rules apply when driving within Europe - The government website says *you can drive on your UK licence BUT You might need an IDP

When I ran my vehicle hire operation the insurance company laid down certain conditions which some people did not agree with and this is no different. When my youngest used to visit from the USA the hire company rule was anyone from the USA could only have an automatic.

That's madness in reality. When we were in the EU they didn't need one, now with exactly the same licence a worthless piece of paper is needed in order to establish the holder can drive a category B vehicle.  

Car_54

DanDare999 said:

Grey_Critic said:

So the receptionist was correct in the first - Company Policy requires an IDP if you do not have a UK Licence.

Similar rules apply when driving within Europe - The government website says *you can drive on your UK licence BUT You might need an IDP

When I ran my vehicle hire operation the insurance company laid down certain conditions which some people did not agree with and this is no different. When my youngest used to visit from the USA the hire company rule was anyone from the USA could only have an automatic.

That's madness in reality. When we were in the EU they didn't need one, now with exactly the same licence a worthless piece of paper is needed in order to establish the holder can drive a category B vehicle.  

That’s a Brexit bonus ….

Grey_Critic

I used to have an IDP in the 1980/90s - Hertz do not need to refuse people from the EU as they are visitors but the OP stated they were a UK resident with a EU licence and the addresses would not match. Nothing to do with Brexit - A UK licence must bear the address that is the drivers main residence and in the case of the OP it did not

But it does not matter what you or I think - If Hertz or any of the others set a rule then you either comply or do not get a car. Their business their rules - just the same when I ran my operation. I refused people at times - my business my rules. And I was very succesful at it

DanDare999

Grey_Critic said:

I used to have an IDP in the 1980/90s - Hertz do not need to refuse people from the EU as they are visitors but the OP stated they were a UK resident with a EU licence and the addresses would not match. Nothing to do with Brexit - A UK licence must bear the address that is the drivers main residence and in the case of the OP it did not

But it does not matter what you or I think - If Hertz or any of the others set a rule then you either comply or do not get a car. Their business their rules - just the same when I ran my operation. I refused people at times - my business my rules. And I was very succesful at it

The OP doesn't have a UK licence. 

Grey_Critic

But he indicates he is a UK resident so the licence address and residence address do not agree. but as I have already said it does not matter. Hertz have their rules (and also insure you ) so they decide the terms just as the hire company my son used on his visits to the UK would only hire him an automatic even though he had both a UK and California Licence.

Going back a few years Hertz Leasing would not allow you to drive beyond Calais in your company car. They insisted on putting you in one of their Left hand drive cars

jake_jones99

Grey_Critic said:

But he indicates he is a UK resident so the licence address and residence address do not agree. but as I have already said it does not matter. Hertz have their rules (and also insure you ) so they decide the terms just as the hire company my son used on his visits to the UK would only hire him an automatic even though he had both a UK and California Licence.

Going back a few years Hertz Leasing would not allow you to drive beyond Calais in your company car. They insisted on putting you in one of their Left hand drive cars

However they let me drive in the end so clearly it wasn't such a cast iron rule if you can bypass it by showing them what the law is. Besides, they didn't say those are the Hertz rules, they initially said that I'm not legally allowed to drive and that's why he can't give me the car. Recall that this was one day before the booked date I had arranged a month before.

The Hertz rules should also be clearly stated at the time of booking. I booked over the phone with a lady who was more concerned to tempt me with various offers than make me aware of something so obvious as needing an uk licence. I also asked her a lot of questions and strangely this never came up.