Beware Of International Driving Permit Scams
Many websites offer International Driving Licenses for your international trip, but did you know that International Driving Licenses actually don’t exist?
That’s right! These International Driving Licenses websites are a scam. What you need is an International Driving Permit. The only purpose of an International Driving Permit is to translate your driver’s license into 11 different languages so it can be understood by foreign government officials. You must also carry your regular driver’s license along with the International Driving Permit. The International Driving Permit is not considered a replacement for having a regular driver’s license.
Also, the International Driving Permit is required in some countries, but it is not required in others. Do your research before getting one.
Where To Get Your International Driving Permit
Not only are there websites selling fake International Driving Licenses, but there are also plenty of scammers selling International Driving Permits that are also counterfeits. Not only that, the fake ones are usually offered at exorbitant prices. The normal fee is $15, and the permit is valid for one year.
The Department of State in the US has only authorized two private groups to issue International Driving Permits. These are AAA and the National Automobile Club.
NOTE: International Driving Permits may not be issued more than six (6) months in advance of desired effective date.
If you are already overseas, you can still apply for your International Driving Permit by mail.
Scams That Target Foreigners In The US
Many foreigners in the US are targeted through ads in local foreign-language papers. They are told that they can get an International Driving Permit and won’t need a Driver’s License. This scam can come with severe penalties for those who drive with only this permit. You must have a state issued driver’s license to drive in the USA.
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National Automobile Club no longer provides IDLs.
Good to know.
http://www.International-Permit.com Review – Beware of this Scamming Company!
Please allow me to share my experience with http://www.International-permit.com. I chose them over AAA because they offered reasonable international shipping and I was in Spain at the time that I needed the International License. We knew we were headed for Japan and that Japan specifically requires an International Driver’s License. I only ordered this license to satisfy Japan’s requirements.
International-permit.com’s site claimed that their license would be good in ALL countries. There were no disclaimers on their site about Japan or any other countries for that matter. When I received the International Driver’s Document from them, it listed Japan as one of the countries covered in the booklet and even translated the document to Japanese (see photos).
When I arrived in Japan, I was refused a car rental. They said that I had a “fake license” and that it was not accepted in Japan. The only license that they will accept must be issued by AAA (under the Geneva Convention rules). I tried to contact International-permit.com during my argument with the rental car company (phone and live chat) and no one responded.
I was able to contact http://www.International-permit.com the next day. They apologized, but did absolutely NOTHING to resolve my issue. I asked for my money back for a license that is totally useless to me and they refused, saying that I only had 7 days to get a refund. So, not only did I get stuck paying $700 to the rental car for a non cancelable rental car, I paid for a license that was absolutely useless. On top of that, our vacation plans were totally ruined.
Since I complained, the company has placed a disclaimer about Japan on their site, but it was too late for me and they would not take responsibility for my issue. Who else will be scammed next?
Stay away from this company! They are nothing but scammers and won’t help you out when you need it. Go with AAA and be assured you won’t have the same issues that I had.
I’m so sorry you had this experience!! Thanks for sharing it.