Re: UK already has ID cards, just soft fuzzy ones
@Def: It has happened a few times as I have several thousand enforced expat colleagues. Some had problems in Glasgow.
My case it was easyjet partner Car-rental, bought at the same time as the ticket , so europcar.
I get around the ‘ghost’ problem now by choosing sixt, and creating a large paper trail with head-office. many of the official “brands” are subcontractors, with a very complex stack of things between customer & car. I suppose they are risk averse.