I was recently left stranded at Toulouse airport with my wife in tears after Goldcar refused to honour our prepaid booking because her paper driving licence was “not a valid document”.
We have never had this problem before, and other firms based there, including Hertz, Budget, Alamo and Enterprise, all said they would accept it but had no cars available to hire.
We eventually managed to source a car from Avis at an additional cost. However, I later found a Consumer Champions column where Goldcar confirmed it would accept a paper licence alongside another form of picture ID, such as a passport.
I contacted Goldcar but the call handler I spoke to was of the same opinion as the agent at the airport, so if that really is the company’s policy, its staff have not been informed.
I don’t think we have been treated fairly and am almost £350 out of pocket. Can you help?
AB, Glasgow
When I wrote about a similar Goldcar case in February, the company said it was going to update its processes so UK travellers with paper licences could satisfy its conditions by providing a separate ID picture, such as a passport.
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That this didn’t happen in reality is perhaps no surprise given that Goldcar is regularly rated among the worst car hire firms in Which?’s annual survey.
Goldcar says: “Unfortunately, the rental agent was incorrect in refusing the UK paper licence, which is acceptable in France. Staff training will also be reviewed to ensure customers have the best possible rental experience.”
It has issued a refund of €425 (£366), which is the difference between the cost of your original booking and the Avis hire, plus a small goodwill gesture.
In 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence was abolished, although paper licences issued before 31 March 2000 are still valid. But is it worth the jeopardy they introduce into what is an increasingly expensive business anyway (Which? says a week’s car hire in August will cost 77% more on average this year than it did in 2019)?
In the past I have advised paper licence holders to study a car hire firm’s ID conditions before travelling but careful preparation has not prevented incidents such as this. It costs £20 to switch to a photocard or £5.50 for an international driving permit, and seems money well spent to me if it avoids a spoiled holiday.
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