Hiring a car abroad, why the change.

[Tashyboy]

Just read on the BBC website that from June you will have to gat a special code to hire a car abroad. This will show convictions such as speeding etc.
can understand that bit but this code only lasts for THREE days, and then you have to apply for another code if you want to hire a car for longer than three days. What's that all about.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Does seems very strange. Surely it'll impact tourism abroad http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32481382

 

[Val]

First I've heard of this and I've a rental car booked in the U.S. In July

 

[Duckster]

Just read on the BBC website that from June you will have to gat a special code to hire a car abroad. This will show convictions such as speeding etc.
can understand that bit but this code only lasts for THREE days, and then you have to apply for another code if you want to hire a car for longer than three days. What's that all about.

Think the BBC has got it slightly wrong. The code lasts for 72 hours and you only need to show it when you pick up your hire car. You don't need to renew it every 72 hours that you have the car.

However, if you are only renting a car for say the 2nd week of your holiday, then you'll have to find an internet cafe or something and get the code whilst you are out there.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/apr/25/dvla-driving-licence-paperless-car-hire

No idea if the same rules also apply to hiring things like mopeds etc... (assume they do)

 

[pbrown7582]

Follow on from the scrapping if the paper section of driving licences. Surely in the short term July/august the paper bit will still be valid.

 

[woody69]

As has been said, you only need the code to actually hire the vehicle. It is because the records have been computerised and rental companies will use the code to access the DVLA site to get information about speeding and other traffic offences. Once the car has been hired then that is it, but if you want to hire a car more than 3 days after your holiday has started you will need to either go online and get one or give them a call.

 

[Slab]

Been blown out of proportion a bit

Even with paper counterpart more than once I've had rental firms abroad insist they will still phone up to check latest info, at least these instances might actually come down with the 72hr code

 

[chrisd]

4 of us on a golf trip to Barcelona a few weeks back booked 2 cars ( they were dirt cheap)

The guy who booked them did one in his and one in my name, he didn't have his paper part and I did - they still let us have both cars without any problem

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Just read on the BBC website that from June you will have to gat a special code to hire a car abroad. This will show convictions such as speeding etc.
can understand that bit but this code only lasts for THREE days, and then you have to apply for another code if you want to hire a car for longer than three days. What's that all about.

The DVLA are doing away with the paper counterpart of the driving licence which is where endorsements are recorded. When I've picked up hire cars abroad, I've been asked to produce the paper counterpart to prove that I'm not disqualified. Without the paper part, the hire car company has no way of checking to see if you're legally allowed to drive, hence the computer system for the hire company to check.

There is a lot of journalistic hyperbole in these articles (especially the Daily Fail one). There may be some teething problems with the system initially, but I doubt very much that it will cause "HOLIDAY CHAOS AND MISERY" like they press are claiming.

FWIW, I'm collecting a hire car in Marseille on the 27th July and I'm not anticipating any issues whatsoever.