Toll Fees on Rental Cars - Complete Highway robbery

[rh71]

When I was in Florida late at night I didn't have enough change and reluctantly had to go through the automated booth. I looked online later and was able to send in payment via check.

Around here in NY and surrounding states, it's all EZ Pass, but not in FL, otherwise I would've just brought the transponder. They really should all stop being pain in the asses and just conform to 1.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

For a lot of toll road authorities, you can circumvent things. The rental car company only knows what they are told by the toll road authority. So if you call the toll road authority and pay the toll off directly, the rental car company has no idea.

I did this for some tolls in Florida - YMMV. I think we covered up the actual scanning panel, but the toll still collects based on license plate... so we called the toll road authority and paid off the bill for the matching plate.

 

[JoeBleed]

Lots of states each have their own system, but link to each other.

In in IL, I have an IPASS, Its useable on Illinois expressways, and in a bunch of other states.

This i can understand and think is a good idea, but not having an option to pay if you don't live near toll roads in your state so you don't buy into the local system either.

What bothers me more is they have access to other state's DMV records to ID you and chose to do it that way instead of some automated gates. And they may or may not charge you extra for having to track you down.

 

[who?]

Arkansas will only give out license plate information for law enforcement purposes. The north Texas toll roads may have signs near the on ramps that say Texas residents only.

 

[spacejamz]

Arkansas will only give out license plate information for law enforcement purposes. The north Texas toll roads may have signs near the on ramps that say Texas residents only.

No they don't....

https://www.ntta.org/custinfo/rentalout-of-state/Pages/default.aspx

Out-of-State Vehicles – When you use a toll road, a photograph of your license plate is taken so we can identify the registered owner of the vehicle. The registered owner of the vehicle will then receive a ZipCash bill in the mail.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I had this problem in Colorado last year. As far as I was aware I avoided the tolls completely, then got a bill in the mail saying I was on it 3 times. I was pretty sure it was a fake scam or at least very intentionally 'obtuse' so you never knew you were on them.

 

[Safeway]

All of the NTTA-operated toll roads scan your TollTag, if present, and pull your plate from the flash photography. If a TollTag is present, the TollTag is charged -- even if the plate is associated with a different TollTag (and that TollTag isn't in the vehicle) or not associated with any TollTag in the NTTA system. So you 100% should have pulled your own TollTag from your vehicle and saved $65 in bullshit administrative fees.

As an aside, the entire concept of toll roads is abhorrent. Why would anyone think that privatizing transportation and road infrastructure is/was a good idea? It's a horrible idea. For the most part, the NTTA toll roads are built in affluent areas of the metroplex. It's clear that infrastructure improvements are necessary and, instead of allocating state and federal highway funds and, you know, responsibly spending our tax dollars, they continually enable NTTA to operate and expand their money mints.

It reminds me of a toll bridge built decades ago. The toll bridge crossed a sprawling lake and provided a desperately-needed interconnect between the two sides of the lake. Before the bridge, you had to circumnavigate the entire damn lake to get to the other side. When they sold the project to the general public via a bond vote, they said that the toll would apply until the bridge was paid off in full. However, once they realized the volume of vehicles taking the bridge every day to shave 20-30 minutes from their commute, they reneged. It's been a profit-generating toll bridge ever since. Bullshit.

And yea, I pay between $200-300/month in NTTA tolls between the DNT and the Express Lanes to/from DFW. Call me bitter.

 

[Ryland]

Florida had the same thing so I configured google maps to avoid toll roads which added a whopping 10 minutes to our trip so that I wouldnt have to deal with tolls and the BS charges that the rental company wanted to charge.

 

[JoeBleed]

All of the NTTA-operated toll roads scan your TollTag, if present, and pull your plate from the flash photography. If a TollTag is present, the TollTag is charged -- even if the plate is associated with a different TollTag (and that TollTag isn't in the vehicle) or not associated with any TollTag in the NTTA system. So you 100% should have pulled your own TollTag from your vehicle and saved $65 in bullshit administrative fees.

As an aside, the entire concept of toll roads is abhorrent. Why would anyone think that privatizing transportation and road infrastructure is/was a good idea? It's a horrible idea. For the most part, the NTTA toll roads are built in affluent areas of the metroplex. It's clear that infrastructure improvements are necessary and, instead of allocating state and federal highway funds and, you know, responsibly spending our tax dollars, they continually enable NTTA to operate and expand their money mints.

It reminds me of a toll bridge built decades ago. The toll bridge crossed a sprawling lake and provided a desperately-needed interconnect between the two sides of the lake. Before the bridge, you had to circumnavigate the entire damn lake to get to the other side. When they sold the project to the general public via a bond vote, they said that the toll would apply until the bridge was paid off in full. However, once they realized the volume of vehicles taking the bridge every day to shave 20-30 minutes from their commute, they reneged. It's been a profit-generating toll bridge ever since. Bullshit.

And yea, I pay between $200-300/month in NTTA tolls between the DNT and the Express Lanes to/from DFW. Call me bitter.

Even as someone which has rarely used toll roads, i can agree 100%. I think there may be a few in NC, but i have yet to use any. I've heard a lot of talk about 540 around Raleigh becoming a toll loop. Not sure if it has or will. I've been on it a few times going to/from the airport. Never saw any toll area nor received any bills. I think i've used toll roads in other countries far more often than i ever have in the US. Oklahoma and somewhere on the way to Delaware(toll bridge if i remember right) are the only ones in the US i can remember using.

If the government officials would stop using the highway funds for shit that isn't relevant, i don't think we'd need toll roads

 

[elitejp]

I was out of state and basically lost and got on a toll road. Got to the toll gate and it was unmanned and required exact change which I didnt have. So now what do they expect you to do? So I ran the toll and called up whatever office and tried explaining the situation

 

[who?]

In the fall of 2014 the on ramp signs to the Bush said "Texas residents only" but they may have changed that.

 

[Safeway]

In the fall of 2014 the on ramp signs to the Bush said "Texas residents only" but they may have changed that.

On the DNT exits, there are signs that say, "Don't worry. We'll bill you." I know what they were trying to say -- that you don't need to stop to pay a toll and you're not running the toll if you don't have a TollTag. However, it comes off as, "Haha, don't worry, we definitely won't neglect to charge you for using this privatized road. #printingmoney"

 

[freeskier93]

This i can understand and think is a good idea, but not having an option to pay if you don't live near toll roads in your state so you don't buy into the local system either.

What bothers me more is they have access to other state's DMV records to ID you and chose to do it that way instead of some automated gates. And they may or may not charge you extra for having to track you down.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver's_Privacy_Protection_Act

Although some state laws might vary a bit, in general, anyone can request registration records as long as they pay a fee and have valid intent.

Don't understand why some of you guys think that just by living in a different state that affords you privacy of your records from entities in other states.

 

[pete6032]

We rented a car to take a trip from Dallas to Indiana this past weekend...

I declined the Toll option since we weren't using the car in Texas (which was $12/day for each day regardless of whether or not you had any toll charges) but didn't think about the route to get to the interstate...ended up taking the 121 Sam Rayburn tollway to 75 to get to Oklahoma and we went through 4 toll stations (all automated so there are no tellers where you can pay cash)...according to the fine print in my rental contact, if you don't get the toll option, you will be charged a $15 administrative fee for each toll charge up to $90 for the duration of the rental agreement plus the actual toll charges...the actual toll charges were probably around $7 or 8 I think...

They did let me add the toll coverage when i returned the car which ended being $70 after taxes...

After returning the car, I just realized I could have pulled the toll tag from my car and saved $70...DERP!!!!

On the toll roads here you will get a ticket if you pass through and your license plates don't match the plates registered to the transponder. That happened to me after I got new license plates and neglected to update them on my toll transponder. The tollway actually send a picture of my car going through the toll scanner. Pretty high tech.

 

[JoeBleed]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver's_Privacy_Protection_Act

Don't understand why some of you guys think that just by living in a different state that affords you privacy of your records from entities in other states.

Why shouldn't we have that privacy? This isn't about trying to get out of paying something, this is more about a private business running hundreds of plates to ID someone to send them a bill. As for states allowing requests of such records, i know. but i don't recall it being cheap. which means they hit you with that fee with the bill most likely. why should that be allowed?

Edit: let me add to my last sentence. Why should that be allowed when they don't offer ways to pay on the spot? I can understand it being turned over to the police if they blew through a tool booth and didn't pay when there was an option to do so. I don't understand why people think it's ok when there was no option to pay.

 

[freeskier93]

Why shouldn't we have that privacy? This isn't about trying to get out of paying something, this is more about a private business running hundreds of plates to ID someone to send them a bill. As for states allowing requests of such records, i know. but i don't recall it being cheap. which means they hit you with that fee with the bill most likely. why should that be allowed?

These toll companies are paying the fee and submitting intent just like anyone else would. They don't have some special back door access. That's why you typically get a "discount" for using their transponder because they don't have to pay the fee to get your registration info from the state.

Edit: let me add to my last sentence. Why should that be allowed when they don't offer ways to pay on the spot? I can understand it being turned over to the police if they blew through a tool booth and didn't pay when there was an option to do so. I don't understand why people think it's ok when there was no option to pay.

Simple. Don't drive on the toll road, you have that option. In this modern age of cell phones and google maps I don't have a lot of sympathy for the "oh I got lost and accidentally ended up on a toll road". I don't deny though there are some that are super shady and don't give you adequate warning to allow you to get off the road before it turns into tolls.

Plus, I don't think having the booths is of much help to most people, since not a lot of people carry cash around, and even if you do they typically require exact change. First time I was in Florida for work I had this issue going from Orlando to Cocoa Beach. Luckily there wasn't an issue expensing the absurd rental car fees, but I should have checked before hand. The second time I went I knew to bring cash.

 

[Safeway]

On the toll roads here you will get a ticket if you pass through and your license plates don't match the plates registered to the transponder. That happened to me after I got new license plates and neglected to update them on my toll transponder. The tollway actually send a picture of my car going through the toll scanner. Pretty high tech.

Interesting. I just move the transponder into my new vehicles and the plate is added to my account. Even the temporary paper plates get added.

 

[JoeBleed]

Plus, I don't think having the booths is of much help to most people, since not a lot of people carry cash around, and even if you do they typically require exact change. First time I was in Florida for work I had this issue going from Orlando to Cocoa Beach. Luckily there wasn't an issue expensing the absurd rental car fees, but I should have checked before hand. The second time I went I knew to bring cash.

Right, but they have automated payment methods at the long term parking at my local international airport that take credit cards. That would be a good way to do it. have a cash only line, some CC lines and then your normal zip through rfid lines.

I've never hit a toll road by accident that i can recall, but i have hit the wrong lane and had to run to a booth that had a person because the change i had on me wasn't right. They, from what i remember, don't give you much or any option to turn around to avoid the road if somehow you did hit it by accident.

 

[ultimatebob]

On the toll roads here you will get a ticket if you pass through and your license plates don't match the plates registered to the transponder. That happened to me after I got new license plates and neglected to update them on my toll transponder. The tollway actually send a picture of my car going through the toll scanner. Pretty high tech.

Those EZPass transponders are suprisingly strong as well. When I sold my Chevy and replaced it with a Mustang, I took the EZPass off of the window and put it in a bag of road supplies in my trunk.

I then took a trip through New York in my new car, and got a notification a week later that my EZPass balance was replenished. The new overhead scanners they have are so strong that they successfully scanned my old EZPass on the way there AND on the way back!

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I know this is a necro, but by now it's pretty much common knowledge to not go through tolls (if possible) in a rental car.

However.. I will say... there is a way around the fees. They key is to call the toll company and pay the bill up-front. Therefore, the car company doesn't pay - therefore, they have no clue.

I've done that in Florida with their SunPass tolls - I just called them up and provided the license plate... They saw the amount owed, I paid it on the spot - and it was done.

You already posted this information in 2017 up in post #27 .
admin allisolm

 

[madoka]

I thought for sure someone necro'ed this to post up the story of the guy who racked up $45,000 in fines in one day in a rental Lamborghini.

A British tourist has reportedly racked up £36,000 in traffic fines in one day after renting a luxury supercar in Dubai.

The 25-year-old man, who has not been named, collected the extortionate fine in just four hours while driving a LamborghiniHuracan.

He reportedly broke the speed limit 33 times in the early hours of last Tuesday, reaching twice the legal limit in some areas.

State-owned newspaper The National reported that he triggered every speed camera on the Sheikh Zayed Road and reached a top speed of 150mph.

The rental firm where the man hired the Lamborghini told the newspaper that he left his passport as a guarantee.

He was driving a rented Lamborghini Huracan (file photo) (Getty Images)
But they said they haven’t called the car back due to fears they may be liable to pay the fine on behalf of the tourist.

"We can't pay this amount should the car be taken into impound, it's still with the tourist, parked at his hotel,” dealership owner Faris Mohammed Iqbal said.

“I won't be trying to take it back, because once I do, I know I have to surrender it to police.

“Then who pays the money for the impound? We shouldn’t do so for sure. It’s his fault and he should pay that amount.”

The rental firm has contacted the British Embassy in Dubai to inform them the man’s passport is in their possession, in case he claims it is lost in order to escape the country – and the fine.

Penalties for breaking speed limits are notoriously high in the United Arab Emirates, where drivers tend to steadfastly follow the laws of the road.

 

[dasherHampton]

It sucks that things have changed for the worse.

I had a stretch from around 2009-2013 where I had to rent a car a O'Hare several times a year and drive downstate. It was so convenient to just use the rental agency's toll thingy. I don't recall the exact financials but as far as I remember it was cheap, like $15. All I had to do was use the iPass lanes.

tip - grab a cab and go to a rental agency near the airport instead of renting at the airpot itself. SO much cheaper, at least back then.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

looks like they use the license plate for all states now...

Out-of-State Vehicles – When you use a toll road, a photograph of your license plate is taken so we can identify the registered owner of the vehicle. The registered owner of the vehicle will then receive a ZipCash bill in the mail.

Noyte to self ... steal plate from another vehicle matching make/model/color. Then travel.

 

[ultimatebob]

Noyte to self ... steal plate from another vehicle matching make/model/color. Then travel.

I doubt that they would even care about the make/model/color, but it's probably a good way to cover your tracks. When my E-Z Pass got billed last week, I was driving in a red Mustang GT that just happened to have the same plate number as my old grey Chevy Cruze. Those cars don't even look remotely alike, and the only thing I heard from the E-Z Pass guys is that my credit card expired when they tried to refresh my account balance.

 

[Ken g6]

I got a ticket for driving on a toll road in Colorado(I think) in the middle of the night. Didn't have a clue what was going on and there was no way to get off the toll road. Sucks.

You must have been very unlucky. I can only think of one toll road in Colorado. Last time I was on that road almost nobody used it.

Now, there are toll/HOV lanes in Colorado, which I don't like either, but it's different.