Renting without leaving a passport

[flipper2222222]

Hi everyone.

Does anyone have a strategy for hiring a motorcycle/ moped

And not having to leave my passport or my wife's Thai ID?

I'm not planning on any illegal action. Just don't feel comfortable with leaving important docs with unknown people.

 

Thanks

 

 

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[johng]

Tell them to take a photo copy of the passport or ID /drivers licence as you will be needing the originals to show hotel and police etc...maybe offer a deposit if they are reluctant..if still no good go to another rental company.

[RJRS1301]

Show them the original, but have a certified copy of it for their records. 

Sign the copy across the page so it cannot be copied and information used illicitly 

 

[dotpoom]

16 hours ago, johng said:

maybe offer a deposit if they are reluctant

   Do rental companies not require a deposit anyway? 

[johng]

   Do rental companies not require a deposit anyway? 

One time I left my passport with them they didn't require a deposit...once I left a credit card with them instead of a deposit or passport...it all depends on the person renting out the bike/car what they will except...all times I paid for my expected rental period up front with the option to bring it back later than agreed ,just pay the extra money on return...no problems these where from small rental businesses and a couple of privately owned cars.
I think the big rental companies will need a deposit.

[Pungdo]

Go to another company, plenty of them don't require you to leave your passport.

[Pilotman]

Never but never leave your passport with anyone.  If they insist, go somewhere else. 

[Pilotman]

9 minutes ago, johng said:

One time I left my passport with them they didn't require a deposit...once I left a credit card with them instead of a deposit or passport...it all depends on the person renting out the bike/car what they will except...all times I paid for my expected rental period up front with the option to bring it back later than agreed ,just pay the extra money on return...no problems these where from small rental businesses and a couple of privately owned cars.
I think the big rental companies will need a deposit.

Forgive me, but leaving a credit card with anyone here is utter madness.  You are opening yourself to getting ripped off. Same with a passport. 

[johng]

42 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Forgive me, but leaving a credit card with anyone here is utter madness. 

Well my thought was that if I gave them cash it might have been hard to get the deposit back

( if they where dishonest )

whereas the credit card has "full protection"  from  fraudulent use  ( due to good UK credit card law)

and also had a maximum limit of 800 UK pounds.

 

Yes it wasn't the best option to leave a card with them..however they where honest, no problems when I returned the car  they looked it over ( I hadn't crashed it )  card returned  smiles all round  no spurious/fraudulent charges to my credit card at all... must be lucky..but never win the lottery ????

[flipper2222222]

thanks to all. 

[Grusa]

Walk away and find another rental. I Leave my Thai car licence, as I don't need it when riding a bike, most are happy with that and 1000baht deposit, cash, refundable. Be sure to take multiple photos of the condition of the bike, in the presence of the agent, before you ride off on it, and keep a copy of the car licence just in case they lose it.

 

If you don't have a spare licence, try a PADI card or similar photo id, or an encapsulated mini-passport copy.

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, johng said:

Well my thought was that if I gave them cash it might have been hard to get the deposit back

( if they where dishonest )

whereas the credit card has "full protection"  from  fraudulent use  ( due to good UK credit card law)

and also had a maximum limit of 800 UK pounds.

 

Yes it wasn't the best option to leave a card with them..however they where honest, no problems when I returned the car  they looked it over ( I hadn't crashed it )  card returned  smiles all round  no spurious/fraudulent charges to my credit card at all... must be lucky..but never win the lottery ????

Yes you may get your money back from a UK bank, but it's as much about identity fraud as it is straight forward financial fraud. Protect your identity documents/cards/statements as much as you would cash. 

[Pdavies99]

3 hours ago, johng said:

Well my thought was that if I gave them cash it might have been hard to get the deposit back

( if they where dishonest )

whereas the credit card has "full protection"  from  fraudulent use  ( due to good UK credit card law)

and also had a maximum limit of 800 UK pounds.

 

Yes it wasn't the best option to leave a card with them..however they where honest, no problems when I returned the car  they looked it over ( I hadn't crashed it )  card returned  smiles all round  no spurious/fraudulent charges to my credit card at all... must be lucky..but never win the lottery ????

Later! So you gave free access to your credit card and the code on reverse!  then you think your card will you give you fraud protection? No chance in hell! They will say your fault!

 

Duh!! "Smiles all round"!

[finnishmen]

22 hours ago, johng said:

Tell them to take a photo copy of the passport or ID /drivers licence as you will be needing the originals to show hotel and police etc...maybe offer a deposit if they are reluctant..if still no good go to another rental company.

dont ewer give you passport anybody, only copy can give, show genuine and give copy but not newer give passport somebody, only immigration office can give passport but other no newer. you can make copy and signature copy then have law legal paper.

'

[finnishmen]

how stupid peoples have, or naibve and stupid, ???? newer give you passport or credit card anywere or anybody, have you totally idiot. ????

[PoorSucker]

2 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

Later! So you gave free access to your credit card and the code on reverse!  then you think your card will you give you fraud protection? No chance in hell! They will say your fault!

 

Duh!! "Smiles all round"!

I have an app on my phone from my foreign bank that let me turn on/off internet purchases and foreign use in a second. 

I have it turned off until I need to use it. 

Nice feature. 

OK, back on topic. 

[johng]

Later! So you gave free access to your credit card and the code on reverse
 
Duh!! "Smiles all round"!

The same as when you pay at a shop,restaurant,petrol station and even online..if they are dishonest they can try a scam.

Duh!! "Smiles all round"!

Yep we simpletons like to smile [emoji39]

[Tomahawk21]

On 6/21/2019 at 3:45 PM, johng said:

Tell them to take a photo copy of the passport or ID /drivers licence as you will be needing the originals to show hotel and police etc...maybe offer a deposit if they are reluctant..if still no good go to another rental company.

i tried all that,they were not interest so tried many others all the same reaction. they were not interest in g/fs ID card either, it was my passport they wanted end of.

[Tomahawk21]

21 hours ago, Pungdo said:

Go to another company, plenty of them don't require you to leave your passport.

was not my experience. sorry. 

[richard_smith237]

I think it has been announced as being illegal for Rental Companies to request your passport as a 'deposit' when renting your bike (I may be mistaken, but recall reading something like that somewhere). 

But, when has a law ever changed the behavior of anyone or any business under such circumstances Thailand, the reality is often quite different from what 'should' happen. 

 

As others have said...  Do not leave your passport. IF a rental company wants your passport and is not willing to accept a deposit, walk away - its that simply. It may mean you don't rent, but it also means you cannot be extorted. 

 

I think leaving a deposit is a perfectly reasonable request, but you have to ensure you are protected there to as many hire companies can be unscrupulous when it comes to returning the deposit - Take photos of the bike (with the owner in the background), have the owner / manager of the rental company sign to identify any existing damage. 

 

If you have a bump or scratch the machine expect to lose some deposit - thats perfectly reasonable. 

[Issanman]

I have rented from shops that demand to hold your passport with no problems. 

But I always check the online reviews for the shop before I rent from them. 

 

There is a place in Patong, Phuket that will rent without holding your passport:

 

https://motorbikerentalphuket.com/

 

They have lot's of good reviews on Google:  

 

https://goo.gl/maps/QMciE1CziCRj7JMv5

 

 

[lipflipper]

I have never left my passport at any motorbike rental shop. I pay the deposit willingly and off I go.

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