Today Goldcar in Madrid refused to give me the car I had booked because I didn’t have an international driving license.
I have an Italian passport, a UK driving licence and I have settled status in the UK. My passport doesn’t need to get stamped when I get in and out of the UK.
I rent cars in Spain regularly and I’ve never had a problem.
Today they first asked for the IDL (I barely know what it is) and then asked me to prove I hadn’t been in the EU for more than 6 months; they started looking for stamps in my passport (which obviously has none). Then they asked to see my plane tickets but eventually they got fed up and just stated they weren’t giving me the car (that I paid).
I contacted rentalcars and they sent me this:
Driving Licence
• When picking the car up, the main driver and any additional drivers will need to provide a full driving licence in their name.
• Digital driving licences will not be accepted.
• If you've had your driving licence renewed and it only shows the date it was renewed, you'll need to prove when it was originally issued.
• All drivers must have held their driving licence for at least 12 months.
• Drivers who have held a driving licence for less than 4 years will pay an additional charge of 7,96 € per day, up to a maximum of 96,00 € per rental.
• UK counterpart driving licences will only be accepted with a UK photocard licence
nternational Driving Permit
• International Driving Permit is required for all persons who hold a driving licence issued outside of the EU.
I would argue that my license, issued in 2019, was issued inside the EU.
Also, The DVLA guidance is that you don’t need a IDL to drive in the EU
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu#driving-licences-and-international-driving-permitsI was left without a car (with a 1 and a 2 year old) and had to make other arrangements to reach my destination.
I would like them to at least refund me the price paid for the booking; where do I stand?