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Car rental but no credit card! Please help!

  • 31-08-2011 11:27pm
    #1
    youre_my_petal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭


    Hello!

    Basically myself and a friend are going to Manchester on Sunday and want to book a car. I have a visa debit card but only a provisional license and she has a full license but no credit or debit card. She only has a laser! I know you need a credit card in your own name to rent a car but I will be in the car with her at all times so does anyone know if any company will make an exception on this matter and let me use my debit card to cover the cost? I spoke to Hertz and they said no in case the credit card was stolen but sure I can prove it's not as i'll have my passport and everything on me.

    At this point I'm considering booking myself as the main driver (with the card in my name) and adding my friend on as driver. I'm thinking if i get to Manchester Airport and just pretend that I forgot or lost my license then they might still let us go ahead with the rental. I'm also considering using my sister's license and credit card (we look very similiar) but not actually driving at all as i'll add my friend on and she can do the driving. I'm getting very desperate at this point so any views on this matter would be much obliged!

    I appreciate any answers I can get on this at all!
    Thanks in advance,
    Jen
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    you are right

    you'll probably need to reserve the car in your name and have her as a second driver.

    I did this with europcar when I had no licence at all.
    The renter is automatically considered the "first driver".
    Anyone else listed to drive is a second and subsequent driver.
    And depending on your conditions that means paying extra for a second driver even though only one of ye can drive.
    Unfortunate but at least you can get a car.

    Alternatively try Enterprise.
    I am reasonably confident that they allow the payment person and drivers to be different. They operate slightly differently to the other companies but are sound as a pound and in the amlost dozen times we have used them never had a problem.
    Ring them by telephone in Manchester airport and they can tell you in 30 seconds if this is the case.

    Also, do you really need a car.
    National express has regular services from Manchester airport to all over the place for next to nothing. Might be worth looking into.


  • #3
    mikedragon32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,939 ✭✭✭mikedragon32


    With Hertz, you might be required to enter your licence number when booking (although I'm not certain, as I use an express facility as a No. 1 club member, where you definitely had to give your licence details), so pretending to have forgotten your licence may lead to them refusing you the car and still charging you as a cancellation. Also (just in case this applies), most mainstream rental firms won't allow individuals under 21 to rent a vehicle.

    Also, attempting to use your sister's card and licence as your own is probably fraud, so please don't ask for advice on this, it's a breach of the Charter.


  • #4
    moco
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 972 ✭✭✭moco


    I'm nearly sure National car rental will accept debit cards cos we had this problem once and that's how we got round it.. Check them out and if I'm wrong let me know and I'll find out for sure if it was them we used.


  • #5
    schemingbohemia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,606 ✭✭✭schemingbohemia


    moco wrote: »
    I'm nearly sure National car rental will accept debit cards cos we had this problem once and that's how we got round it.. Check them out and if I'm wrong let me know and I'll find out for sure if it was them we used.

    Would they not need proof that the debit card was seriously loaded with enough money to cover accidents etc? That's the point in them requiring credit cards so that they have access to it so they can charge damage to it. I'm not sure the terms and conditions of a debit card would allow them the same comfort.

    Also doubt that you will be allowed hire a car with a provisional license.


  • #6
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    The problem won't be the Debit card, it'll be the provisional licence.

    Hertz do accept Visa Debit but each location will have its own discretion. I wouldn't say your chances are too good OP, in fact if you read the T's & C's then I'd say you have no hope of getting a car. Risk it if you want to, but they all demand a Card and Full License, if you try and pull a fast one then the entire agreement is null and void should anything happen during the rental and you'll be in a whole lot of trouble.

    FYI:
    www.thetrainline.com
    www.nationalexpress.com


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  • #7
    moco
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 972 ✭✭✭moco


    schemingbohemia wrote: »
    Would they not need proof that the debit card was seriously loaded with enough money to cover accidents etc? That's the point in them requiring credit cards so that they have access to it so they can charge damage to it. I'm not sure the terms and conditions of a debit card would allow them the same comfort.

    Also doubt that you will be allowed hire a car with a provisional license.

    Ah ok, I just scanned through the message, going by the title, I thought having no credit card was the problem.

    Whether someone uses a credit card of a debit card there still has to be available credit on the account. Sure they can't take money from a credit card that's been maxed as far as I know. When we did it they kind of put a hold on a certain amount of money in my fiance's debit card..think it was £500 or so which was released when the car came back undamaged. If someone presented credit card with insufficient funds to hold over, I doubt it would be accepted.


  • #8
    jackal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 794 ✭✭✭jackal


    moco wrote: »
    Ah ok, I just scanned through the message, going by the title, I thought having no credit card was the problem.

    Whether someone uses a credit card of a debit card there still has to be available credit on the account. Sure they can't take money from a credit card that's been maxed as far as I know. When we did it they kind of put a hold on a certain amount of money in my fiance's debit card..think it was £500 or so which was released when the car came back undamaged. If someone presented credit card with insufficient funds to hold over, I doubt it would be accepted.

    I dont think thats correct, so long as there is credit on the card, the pre-auth seems to go through as when we did it, there was only 100 euro or so credit available on the card and the pre-auth was for 500 I think. So long as its less than their entire credit limit, it seems to pre-auth ok.

    However, we were in a similar situation. Missus has the card, I had the licence, she did not bring her licence cos I was to be doing the driving... disaster. We had pre-payed with hertz and we lost the money we pre-paid, you must have someone with both a credit card and full licence to be the "first driver". After that, they don't care. Another company we went to (europa) did not care and were happy to take her card and my licence, but I would say its very dependent on the guy you happen to get on the desk.


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