Goldcar did not accept our paper UK driving licenses but did not refund us
Last September we booked a rental car with Goldcar for our holiday in Spain. My husband and I both have paper driver's licenses and I would have read in Consumer Champions that we may need an International Driver's Permit (IDP) for our trip.
With that in mind, I phoned his office in Spain to check and they assured us that our paper licenses would be fine. However, when we arrived to pick up the car at Murcia airport, we were told it was not valid.
The woman we told Dealed was very helpful and checked with their head office. However we were told we couldn't get a car but would get a full refund for the £600 booking.
When we got home we contacted Goldcar and were advised of a refund. was being processed and it could take up to 14 days.
When the money didn't show up we called again and found out it didn't come through. was not produced. In November, we received an email explaining that the problem had arisen due to inaccurate information provided by their employee and that no refund would be given.
We do not don't think that's fair and I tried to contact them again but there was just a silence. We would really appreciate it if you could help us get our refund back as we really don't know what to do next.
SG, Nottingham
In 2015, the paper counterpart of the photo driving license was abolished, but paper licenses issued before March 31, 2000 are still valid. However, the reality is that some car rental companies will not accept a license without a photo and last year we wrote about a similar refusal by InterRent.
We contacted Goldcar on your behalf and they apologized for your bad experience and blamed the confusion over UK driving licenses and their acceptance in Spain after Brexit.
Goldcar states: "We recognize that the information provided on our website and by our staff has not been consistent or clear. Our website correctly states that UK driving licenses are accepted, but that we require a license with a photo ID. However, some UK citizens only have a paper license which does not include a photo ID. We are therefore updating our processes to allow the provision of a separate photo ID - like a passport - for identification. He has processed a refund of €652 (£576) and is sending you a letter of apology.
Last time I said if you rent a car, read the identification requirements carefully to avoid a stressful situation at the airport. You did and it still didn't work. An IDP is a multilingual translation of your driving license and you don't need it to drive in countries like Spain. But if you intend to continue using a paper license rather than a photocard (which costs £20), it may be worth getting one for peace of mind. They cost £5.50 and are available from a post office.
We welcome letters but cannot reply individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters are subject to our terms and conditions
Last September we booked a rental car with Goldcar for our holiday in Spain. My husband and I both have paper driver's licenses and I would have read in Consumer Champions that we may need an International Driver's Permit (IDP) for our trip.
With that in mind, I phoned his office in Spain to check and they assured us that our paper licenses would be fine. However, when we arrived to pick up the car at Murcia airport, we were told it was not valid.
The woman we told Dealed was very helpful and checked with their head office. However we were told we couldn't get a car but would get a full refund for the £600 booking.
When we got home we contacted Goldcar and were advised of a refund. was being processed and it could take up to 14 days.
When the money didn't show up we called again and found out it didn't come through. was not produced. In November, we received an email explaining that the problem had arisen due to inaccurate information provided by their employee and that no refund would be given.
We do not don't think that's fair and I tried to contact them again but there was just a silence. We would really appreciate it if you could help us get our refund back as we really don't know what to do next.
SG, Nottingham
In 2015, the paper counterpart of the photo driving license was abolished, but paper licenses issued before March 31, 2000 are still valid. However, the reality is that some car rental companies will not accept a license without a photo and last year we wrote about a similar refusal by InterRent.
We contacted Goldcar on your behalf and they apologized for your bad experience and blamed the confusion over UK driving licenses and their acceptance in Spain after Brexit.
Goldcar states: "We recognize that the information provided on our website and by our staff has not been consistent or clear. Our website correctly states that UK driving licenses are accepted, but that we require a license with a photo ID. However, some UK citizens only have a paper license which does not include a photo ID. We are therefore updating our processes to allow the provision of a separate photo ID - like a passport - for identification. He has processed a refund of €652 (£576) and is sending you a letter of apology.
Last time I said if you rent a car, read the identification requirements carefully to avoid a stressful situation at the airport. You did and it still didn't work. An IDP is a multilingual translation of your driving license and you don't need it to drive in countries like Spain. But if you intend to continue using a paper license rather than a photocard (which costs £20), it may be worth getting one for peace of mind. They cost £5.50 and are available from a post office.
We welcome letters but cannot reply individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters are subject to our terms and conditions
What's Your Reaction?
