Car Rental Documents
Discussion
I've booked a prepaid car rental from Thrifty in Edinburgh. I'm a UK resident, but this is only the second time I've rented a car in the uk.
I've just received an automated email telling me I need to bring a bank statement and utility bill (both, not just one) for proof of address. I've called the Thrifty depot and they do actually want it.
In my entire life history of renting well over 100 rent a cars, nobody has ever asked for a utility bill or proof of address. Is this just Thrifty or does every rental co. in the UK do this for UK residents?
Under the section for non-UK residents, Thrifty ask for documented proof of exit date from UK.
I've just received an automated email telling me I need to bring a bank statement and utility bill (both, not just one) for proof of address. I've called the Thrifty depot and they do actually want it.
In my entire life history of renting well over 100 rent a cars, nobody has ever asked for a utility bill or proof of address. Is this just Thrifty or does every rental co. in the UK do this for UK residents?
Under the section for non-UK residents, Thrifty ask for documented proof of exit date from UK.
I only ever use Europcar and they've never asked for anything other than driving license and deposit on Credit Card.
It suspect it might be due to more checks being done these days, but often these are automated via a credit check which doesn't leave markers on your credit history and are used to just to check that a person exists that matches the driving license.
It suspect it might be due to more checks being done these days, but often these are automated via a credit check which doesn't leave markers on your credit history and are used to just to check that a person exists that matches the driving license.
Enterprise ask me for recent utility bill and another recent form of proof of address each time I use them; about 3 times a year.
Driving licence address could be years out of date as not everybody tells DVLA when they move; at least that's the impression given by various PH posters.
Slightly off topic, I'm due to pick up a courtesy car whilst my car is in for a service in a couple of weeks time. The dealer wants national insurance number as well as driving licence. As I've never been asked for NI number before I questioned it in case it was a mistake.
Driving licence address could be years out of date as not everybody tells DVLA when they move; at least that's the impression given by various PH posters.
Slightly off topic, I'm due to pick up a courtesy car whilst my car is in for a service in a couple of weeks time. The dealer wants national insurance number as well as driving licence. As I've never been asked for NI number before I questioned it in case it was a mistake.
I had this with northgate
apparently £500 on a credit card and an up to date drivers license and a passport is not enough for them
Seems to be more than enough to buy a car on finance though.
Yet a printed piece of paper with the name of a bank or a utility company is enough to make all the difference.
apparently £500 on a credit card and an up to date drivers license and a passport is not enough for them
Seems to be more than enough to buy a car on finance though.
Yet a printed piece of paper with the name of a bank or a utility company is enough to make all the difference.
Tony1963 said:
If the deal you have with them is favourable, just do as they require. I suspect once you're on their system you'll never be asked for these documents again.
I was planning on doing that. Then I had another look at the email, which was sent after I made the booking so is contractually unenforceable. They want the printed statement from the card used to make the booking. I m the secondary cardholder to my wife's primary card, so it is not for me to provide. I could not comply with Thriftys requirements even if I wanted to.
I've called Thrifty to cancel and given them the choice of refunding this non-refundable booking or me doing a chargeback.
creampuff said:
They want the printed statement from the card used to make the booking. I m the secondary cardholder to my wife's primary card, so it is not for me to provide. I could not comply with Thriftys requirements even if I wanted to.
I know this is a bit whacky and left-field, but why don't you ask your wife nicely if she'll print out the statement for you?creampuff said:
I've called Thrifty to cancel and given them the choice of refunding this non-refundable booking or me doing a chargeback.
You've called them? What did they say?Whenever I've used Enterprise, they ask for this information before they hand me the keys to one of their (fairly expensive) motor cars. I've always been more than happy to provide the info.
Sebring440 said:
creampuff said:
They want the printed statement from the card used to make the booking. I m the secondary cardholder to my wife's primary card, so it is not for me to provide. I could not comply with Thriftys requirements even if I wanted to.
I know this is a bit whacky and left-field, but why don't you ask your wife nicely if she'll print out the statement for you?Impose unworkable conditions, get irate customers and chargebacks. If I've been able to rent over 100 cars in the past without complying with an impossible request, then I see no reason to start now. Not that I can comply anyway. They should learn to state their T&Cs before the booking, not after.
I'm sure dim Shazzer in the office when you collect it will be learned a lesson in contract law. But she won't care. And you'll probably risk not getting the car.
Here's an idea of why this has just happened to you now... bear with me:
Maybe, as you've booked a car using a payment card in someone else's name they wan't to double check:
1) That you live at the same address - after all, they are handing you a £10,000 portable item - not unreasonable in the circumstances.
2) That you have the authorisation of the card holder. Pretty much proven by the supply of the statement of that card, as the cardholder would have to give it to you.
So, not unreasonable and quite sensible in the circumstances. Yes, you could teach them some law, but you may very well find in the pages of T&Cs on their website, or your order that what you believe about the status of the contract may not be as simple as you think.
Here's an idea of why this has just happened to you now... bear with me:
Maybe, as you've booked a car using a payment card in someone else's name they wan't to double check:
1) That you live at the same address - after all, they are handing you a £10,000 portable item - not unreasonable in the circumstances.
2) That you have the authorisation of the card holder. Pretty much proven by the supply of the statement of that card, as the cardholder would have to give it to you.
So, not unreasonable and quite sensible in the circumstances. Yes, you could teach them some law, but you may very well find in the pages of T&Cs on their website, or your order that what you believe about the status of the contract may not be as simple as you think.
JustinP1 said:
I'm sure dim Shazzer in the office when you collect it will be learned a lesson in contract law. But she won't care. And you'll probably risk not getting the car.
1) That you live at the same address - after all, they are handing you a £10,000 portable item - not unreasonable in the circumstances.
I'm sure me giving a car rental clerk a lesson in 1st year contract law would be a waste of everyone's time, which is why I have now cancelled the Thrifty booking and am looking at Avis/Hertz, who I usually rent off. 1) That you live at the same address - after all, they are handing you a £10,000 portable item - not unreasonable in the circumstances.
I'm unmoved by hard done by rental agencies giving out £10,000 cars, when you can rent an even more valuable car in every single other place and company I've ever used with only a driving licence and credit card.
I hire rarely in the UK, but in the US I've several times seen women in tears as they wouldn't let them take the car because of some license / card / address issue.
I tried to collect a carpet cleaning machine that my wife had booked recently - they absolutely refused to let me take it as I didn't have 2x proof of address which they'd told my wife about but neglected to tell me. I offered to leave the whole cost as a deposit on my card but they still said no. Moral: If they ask for stuff, don't turn up without it.
I tried to collect a carpet cleaning machine that my wife had booked recently - they absolutely refused to let me take it as I didn't have 2x proof of address which they'd told my wife about but neglected to tell me. I offered to leave the whole cost as a deposit on my card but they still said no. Moral: If they ask for stuff, don't turn up without it.
Drumroll said:
Nat insurance number is so they can check if you have any points/disqualified etc. What they should really ask you to do is to give them a "check number" that you get from the DVLA website.
How does your national insurance number show you have points etc on your license?This is a Thrifty thing. Like you, I was absolutely amazed when I first learnt of this. No other rental firm anywhere else in the world has ever asked for anything more than my license and credit card, yet Thrifty wanted a pile of documents.
So I took the documents and found Thrifty to be frankly excellent - wonderful fleet of decent cars and competitive prices. I usually rent with them now and just put up with this bizarre policy they have which is mirrored by nobody else I've ever used.
I mostly use them for airport one-ways and almost every time I've dropped the car at Heathrow there is an argument going on where somebody isn't getting a car because they don't have a utility bill. Whole thing is odd.
So I took the documents and found Thrifty to be frankly excellent - wonderful fleet of decent cars and competitive prices. I usually rent with them now and just put up with this bizarre policy they have which is mirrored by nobody else I've ever used.
I mostly use them for airport one-ways and almost every time I've dropped the car at Heathrow there is an argument going on where somebody isn't getting a car because they don't have a utility bill. Whole thing is odd.
^ It's a shame, it was a reasonable price and always willing to try a new company. The thing about the statement from the original payment card was a deal breaker. If their rules are that bizarre, I could easily be turning up to their counter with my wife's card statement and still be told no as it doesn't have my name on it. On top of me already being irate to get a page long email on a Sunday morning with detailed instructions of what I had to bring. The statements also have to be less than 8 weeks old. Will see if they cough up the refund or if I need to do a chargeback.
I ended up getting the rental cheaper off Avis, but that was with a discount code from my engineering society, so not directly comparable.
I ended up getting the rental cheaper off Avis, but that was with a discount code from my engineering society, so not directly comparable.
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