Travel insurers lag on car hire advice
On 8 June, British driving licences will change from a paper-based to an online system, but many travel insurers’ websites are failing to warn UK holidaymakers of changes in rules that could leave them unable to pick up their hire cars, as James Paul Wallis reports
On 8 June, British driving licences will change from a paper-based to an online system, but many travel insurers’ websites are failing to warn UK holidaymakers of changes in rules that could leave them unable to pick up their hire cars, as James Paul Wallis reports
Back in July 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), responsible for administering driving licences in England, Scotland and Wales, announced the death of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence, which will no longer be valid from 8 June 2015. Drivers in Northern Ireland are not affected, though, as their photocard licences are issued by a separate body, the DVA. Despite the announcement being a year ago, it seems that many British drivers (myself included) remain blissfully unaware of this imminent change.
In some countries, it’s a requirement to carry your driving licence with you each time you get in a car; but not in the UK, where it can remain safely tucked away in the back of your sock drawer – even if a police officer asks to see your licence, you get two weeks’ grace to present it at a police station at your convenience.
One of the few times a driving licence is required of UK drivers is when you pick up your keys at the car hire desk; and this is where holidaymakers could face problems. Some car hire firms insist on seeing your complete driving licence: currently, for UK drivers, that’s made up of the plastic photocard and the so-called ‘paper counterpart’, which has details including any driving offences you’ve committed. After the rule change on 8 June, though, anyone merrily handing over the paper counterpart could be told it’s invalid. Imagine arriving at the airport, luggage and kids in hand, and being refused the rental car you’ve booked so you can drive to your holiday villa. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
Fortunately, with the changeover day looming, the British media are starting to raise awareness, such as the BBC on 27 April and the Daily Mail back in March. The DVLA has also produced a video for car renters that explains how to prove your driving record using its new online service – which replaces the paper counterpart, and instead produces a code to show at the car hire desk. Beware though – the code is only valid for 72 hours, so if you’re planning to rent a car after more than three days into your trip, you’ll need to make sure you can get Internet access while you’re away.
However, despite the BBC and others highlighting the change, many travel insurers have failed to update their online advice. When I did an online search on 28 April 2015, I found a number of web pages that only refered to paper counterparts – anyone relying on this information come 8 June could be in for a nasty shock.
Direct Line, for example, had a page that simply stated: “Make sure your UK driving licence is current and valid and take the paper counterpart if you have a photocard licence.”
An AXA page titled ‘motoring abroad’ similarly stated: “As well as making sure they comply with laws, holidaymakers will also need to carry the following documents: driving licence; paper counterpart for drivers with a photocard licence.”
Even the AA or Automobile Association, which offers breakdown cover and travel insurance for drivers heading overseas, had a page on car hire that said: “Customers holding the new photocard driver’s licence must remember that the photocard and paper counterpart make up the complete driver’s licence and both must be produced when renting a vehicle.” And that’s despite the fact that it was hailing the end of the paper counterpart back in 2011, calling it 'a welcome end to red tape'.
It’s a similar story with the RAC, another motoring organisation that sells breakdown cover and travel insurance. The RAC had a page telling travellers ‘when driving in France the following documents should be carried: full, valid driving licence (with paper counterpart)’, even though it flagged up the change in an article it published in March.
Hats off to MoneySuperMarket.com, though, which flagged up the rule change in an article last January.