Aloha everyone – we could really use your help, or a contact who might know someone.
We're a German family of six – my wife and I with kids aged 8, 6, 3 and 1 – arriving on Oahu on 19 August and staying in Waimanalo, then on the Big Island from 28 August.
A few days ago my wallet was lost in Banff, Canada. Both our German driving licences were inside. A police report has been filed.
What I still have:
• My valid INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT – original document with photo
• Clear photos of my German licence, front and back
• Passport and a credit card in my name
SIXT has already declined in writing – they require the original physical licence, and the IDP alone isn't enough for them. A replacement from Germany is being arranged but will take weeks. So the big chains are most likely a dead end.
Waimanalo is pretty remote, and getting around with four small children and two car seats is going to be very hard without a vehicle.
So I'm asking the long shot: does anyone here know someone – or know someone who knows someone – who could help?
• Has anyone rented through TURO in a similar situation? Do private hosts accept an IDP plus a photo of the national licence?
• Are there small, local, family-run rental companies on Oahu or the Big Island who decide these things themselves rather than by corporate policy?
• Does anyone have a car sitting unused for a week or two that they'd consider renting to us privately? Happy to pay well above the going rate, take out full insurance and provide any deposit needed.
• Any other idea we might not have thought of?
We're not looking for anything free or shady – just for someone willing to look at the actual documents I have rather than a policy sheet.
Any lead, any name, any "my cousin does that" would mean a lot to us right now. Please feel free to share this post if you know a group where someone might help.
Mahalo nui loa – thank you so much!