ih

I had booked a car with Hertz at LAX for the 16th of September. Flew in from calgary where i had used Hertz for 5 days. After boarding the shuttle we got dropped off at their office which is 10 mins from their airport.It was very crowded and being a gold card member we had to wait in the line for a long time.At the counter i produced my International drivers license.They refused to give the car giving vague answers like
1. local license is required also-have been traveling for the last 10 years and have used hertz in USA
with the International license.
2.The manager mentioned that international driving license can be purchased anywhere. I explained the entire process how the license is issue in Thailand.
They did not budget stating that its against their policy.Some of the customers in the line mentioned they have a shortage of cars hence any pretext to turn away customers was being used.
I proceeded to Avis and got a car for the 4 days i needed.
I will never use Hertz again and would like to warn customers about the attitude of the staff at this location.
Despite a number of calls and complaints no one has bothered to respond.

IMDonehere

When I used to travel for business, I had the opposite experience at Hertz at LAX, but I have not used it 7 years. And I did however have NYS driver's license.

janisj

Your whole story makes no sense. There is no 'international drivers license'. It is a permit and is only used to translate your own license. You must have a regular icense - right? If so, that is what you would have used . . . With the IDP if your license is not in English .

nytraveler

Agree there is no "international license" - that is just a translation of your local license for people who can't read the language of the original.

I can't imagine ANYONE allowing you to rent a car without a legitimate national drivers license.

Dukey1

I do not understand why you weren't able to proceed to the Gold Canopy immediately, get in your car, and drive off. You would have had to show your license at the exit gate. But perhaps Hertz doesn't do it that way at LAX as they do in so many other places.
Based on your "review" I am NOT going to stop using Hertz in the future.

NeoPatrick

There is a lot that doesn't make sense here including the OP's comment about explaining how an International Driver's License is issued. I looked that up and it clearly states (like everywhere else) that to get one in Thailand you must present your actual driver's license. And doubtless the IDP (or IDL) will state that it is only good in conjunction with an actual license, so what's the problem?

Perhaps a better title would be "If you are going to rent at Hertz-LAX, make sure you have a Driver's License."

Michael

I'm willing to give the OP some slack in describing what happened--including the omission of not a gold canopy member--as I can imagine that a U.S. rental agency clerk can be unfairly suspicious about someone's license from that part of the world. I am assuming that the OP had his actual driver's license, otherwise Avis would not have rented him a car.

Christina

I think there are lots of people who truly think that translation is a license, many people call in an international drivers license. So maybe the OP left the real license at home and only took the IDP. Not a good idea. And I agree Hertz probably would not be familiar with Thai drivers licenses.

It is conceivable some clerk didn't know what they were doing, but the story doesn't make sense if it omitted the part about giving them both the license and the IDP, which translates it (probably a good idea if it were in Thai). If he did and they still refused then I wouldn't rent from them if I were foreign, perhaps. Renting from Avis does suggest he had a DL, but no mention of it. It could be Avis messed up and their clerk didn't know that an IDP is not a real license, that is certainly possible also.

Michael

So maybe the OP left the real license at home and only took the IDP.

Then the OP could not have rented a car from Avis.

NeoPatrick

"Then the OP could not have rented a car from Avis."

unless he had an incompetent agent at Avis, just as he claims he had an incompetent agent at Hertz!

But any way you slice it we are missing some information here.

sharona

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I, too, don't understand why you couldn't simply go to the gold canopy area, find your name with the corresponding location of the car, and drive off. I rented from Hertz at LAX last summer and this is what I did. I think I simply showed my license at the exit gate. The line for non-gold members was outside the door so I was very happy to have been a gold member to bypass that line. It probably took 10 minutes, including loading the car with the luggage for 5 people.

ih

Seen all your comments.I did leave the thai license at home and carried the IDP.Let me clarify that i have been using car rental for the last 10 years in various countries including the US and have availed car rentals with all the reputed companies including HERTZ by producing the INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE or IDP as some of u call it.
This is the 1st time i have been refused and let me also state that AVIS at Westwood gave the car based on the IDP.I specifically mentioned to the lady that i do not have my thai license and will the IDP work and she said its fine.
The thai driving license issued by the authorities is in THAI hence when renting down under i was specifically told in NZ that we need an English version.
So for all of u who have commented that u do not have the full picture hopefully u have all the info. My objective is not to bad mouth any agency but i don't like harassment.If i had been refused by HERTZ in USA in the past i would not have raised this issue.
The lady in AVIS was competent and aware of her actions.
I hope the story makes sense.

janisj

If you have been allowed to rent in the past without having a legit license with you . . . Those staff should have been fired. An IDP is not a legal document.

The lady at Avis was wrong to give you a car w/o a drivers license.

All those other times with hertz, did you also leave your license at home? Sorry, but that sound VERY far fetched.

You should not be angry w/ hertz, you should be angry w/ yourself for being a putz and forgetting your drivers license.

NeoPatrick

Question. Does the International Driver's License say anywhere on it that it must be accompanied by an actual driver's license? Mine always have -- and it is stated clearly -- but admittedly I never had one issued in Thailand. Still, it's hard to imagine that one wouldn't have that statement as well.

clarkgriswold

They shouldn't rent to anyone without a photo I.D. but might make exceptions if you are a frequent-renter and they have your drivers license information already in their system. Are you also a frequent-renter with Avis? Why didn't you just rent from Avis at LAX, did they also refuse you? How many other Avis and Hertz offices did you try before the office in Westwood finally accepted your IDL?

Michael

They shouldn't rent to anyone without a photo I.D.

A passport is a photo I.D.

ih

Yes Janisj- i do not carry the local license when i travel overseas.I use my IDP as the official photo ID wherever i stay(holiday inn,mar riot etc) and have never been asked for my Passport.Even while using my credit card all stores have seen the IDP as an official photo id. I am sure there are experts who are well versed with the law.
No clarkgriswold-i did not rent from avis at LAX as i had to get to westwood for an appointment.I did not gt around LA trying to rent a car.I reached Westwood and called Avis which was closest to that area in case u area familiar with LA.
I appreciate some of the sarcasm.