New rules for hiring a car.

Vince do you know this? Motorist could have trouble hiring a car abroad.

bbc news

The last couple of lines of the article:-

To view a record of their convictions, motorists can log on to the View My Driving licence page of the government website.
They will need their driving licence number, their national insurance number and their postcode.

So why not when hiring a car give the hire company these details, they go on the DVLA website, check you out and if alls ok let you have a car...

Simple innit...

I have commented on this in two other places today.  We have been to loads of countries and the only place that has ever asked for the paper part of the license is the UK.  

Logic says it should be the other way round because the UK is the only country in the EU that doesnt have I D cards and that doesnt require citizens to register their addresses. DVLA dont ask for proof of address and there is no national identity database. 

I had trouble with Europacar this time round, showed paper etc but wanted proof of address in form of a bill. I asked the  guy if I could see one of his household bills, he said he does not have one on him, I said then why do you expect me to carry one.

Nothing to do with car hire but ID, went to bank to pay in a cheque, I push cheque and bank card across counter and ask to pay in.

She, the clerk: Photo ID please.
Me: What.
She: Photo ID please.
Me: I heard you ok, but why you wanting photo ID.
She: It's because of the value of the cheque.
Me: But I'm paying the money in to the account not trying to take money out, why do I need ID to pay money in.
She: Its procedure to check against money laundering.
Me: I ain't got any photo ID on me but I've opened umpteen accounts and ISA's with you and you've taken copies of my passport or my driving licence on those occasions so you have it on file, check it out.
She: We hold no paperwork in branches, that's all archived at head office.
Me: I say see that advisor James over there in the glass booth, ask him who I am, I'v dealt with him for years , (now the reason I allways dealt with James when opening accounts etc was cos he's got GCSE maths and can add two and two together without a calculator).
She: I need photo ID sir.
Me: I leave and go back next day with photo ID, clerk takes a quick glimpse at it, didn't even copy it for their records and cheques paid in within seconds,,, what would have been wrong with getting James to confirm who I was when a paperwork record of it wasn't even required........

Adam Mint wrote:Nothing to do with car hire but ID, went to bank to pay in a cheque, I push cheque and bank card across counter and ask to pay in.

She, the clerk: Photo ID please.
Me: What.
She: Photo ID please.
Me: I heard you ok, but why you wanting photo ID.
She: It's because of the value of the cheque.
Me: But I'm paying the money in to the account not trying to take money out, why do I need ID to pay money in.
She: Its procedure to check against money laundering.
Me: I ain't got any photo ID on me but I've opened umpteen accounts and ISA's with you and you've taken copies of my passport or my driving licence on those occasions so you have it on file, check it out.
She: We hold no paperwork in branches, that's all archived at head office.
Me: I say see that advisor James over there in the glass booth, ask him who I am, I'v dealt with him for years , (now the reason I allways dealt with James when opening accounts etc was cos he's got GCSE maths and can add two and two together without a calculator).
She: I need photo ID sir.
Me: I leave and go back next day with photo ID, clerk takes a quick glimpse at it, didn't even copy it for their records and cheques paid in within seconds,,, what would have been wrong with getting James to confirm who I was when a paperwork record of it wasn't even required........

must have been a large cheque

No, normal size, about 2" by 6"...

Adam Mint wrote:No, normal size, about 2" by  6"...

We have a ATM like machine in the bank where we pay in cheques etc. We have no need to speak to anyone.

Back on topic, what is the "paper" bit of the licence you are on about??

Meanwhile back off topic...

Mermaid wrote:

Adam Mint wrote:No, normal size, about 2" by  6"...

We have a ATM like machine in the bank where we pay in cheques etc. We have no need to speak to anyone.

Yip, I've used them if there's a big queue, but allways wary about it for some reason, allways kept the receipt and checked it against monthly statement to make sure it was paid in...

And back on topic...

3rdforum wrote:Back on topic, what is the "paper" bit of the licence you are on about??

image of uk paper driving licence

Ah, link didn't work, just type in:-

image of uk paper driving licence

In the UK you get th plastic card which shows your picture abd details plus what sort of vehicles you can drive, then you also get a paper bit that shows all of above except picture but also shows any driving convictions/ endorsements/points, below is best example I can find...

http://exchangerate.woodluv.co.uk/UkPound/exchange-uk-driving-licence-polish

What do you have in Ireland...

This is basically it. The centre part has the list of categories you can drive. The other side will have any endorsements printed on it and whether you are a blood/organ donor. I think they are replacing this paper one with a small plastic credit card size licence. It can be swiped and any other info e.g. blood type/ endorsements etc can be read. They are only replacing when your original one expires

So if you get an endorsement do they tanke that licence off you and replace it with a new one withe the endorsement added...

yeah. Though there up until this year, there wasn't a centralised database of who got endorsments so if you have two licences, like wot I do, then you keep the reserve one for when you were applying for insurance.

Dermot you dont look too clever on that photo

So if Ireland can keep it simple with all the info on your licence, whys the UK complicating it with codes, 72 hour life, etc, and what if your car breaks down and you need a hire car now,,,, can't do it sir, you should have known three days in advance your car was gonna go bang...

Don't think this ones been thought through...

If your paper one and plastic do not match exact, like if you have sent off part of it and got two of one bit they won;t let you, but in essence all they really do need to do is take your passport and contact dvla.