ez pass administrative fee waived letter
The maximum speed is 25 MPH. The deal is civil penalties and administrative fees will be waivedif the driver pays the original toll and an amnesty fee. On 7/20/22, I received the first of 3 NJ E-Z Pass tolls by mail (Bergen, Raritan South, Toms River) Advisory and Payment Request Violations; each included a $50 "Administrative Fee". -Once the transaction becomes a "violation", a notice is sent that includes a $50 administrative fee - this fee often get waived as a one-time courtesy, with every case being unique. I got a bill for almost $2,000! But we're hearing from scores of consumers who are are saying it's a big loss for them after getting hit with fines in the thousands - facing collections - even after some say they've paid the tolls. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Vuolo wrote to this new address on Oct. 22. My father lived in the same house in NJ for 53 years & had E-Z pass in good standing for many YEARS but two months before my brother's visit, my father moved to assisted living in MA and I returned his NJ E-Z Pass transponder and closed his account. This E-Z Pass by design is setup to produce revenue, not serve its tax payers and visitors. PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- E-Z Pass is not going Is this where the problem began? If you don't want to go through the hassle of getting an E-ZPass, renters may be able to pay the toll directly to the toll agency to avoid the convenience fee charged by the rental car company. On 8/29/22 I received another Prompt Attention bill. The standard price for an E-ZPass Administrative Fee varies depending on the state. However, we can tell you the standard price for it is $50. Still, getting multiple toll violation notices in the same year can be pretty expensive. Therefore, it is highly recommended to act on them once you receive them, instead of just letting them pass. If the account is not replenished within this period, a violation notice is issued for the toll plus a $50 or $100 fee per transaction, depending upon the facility, and the customer has 30 days to pay. The fee is automatically waived on first-time notices if the toll is paid by the due date. Instead, it seemed, E-ZPass took the violations to the next level. Supplies can be ordered by calling the Customer Service Center at 877-643-9727 or online at the. "The silly part is that when I send in the violation response, the toll amount is deducted from my account. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I cautioned my brother that many tolls no longer have cash lanes but that we would be billed by license plate and I would pay the tolls. The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. Same complaint as noted exhaustively here by other drivers on NJ toll roads. If toll roads are unavoidable or worth the extra cost, the easiest way to avoid toll convenience fees is to bring your own E-ZPass with you. On Oct. 5, Vuolo wrote again, and again, his letter went unanswered. E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system that allows you to prepay your tolls, eliminating the need to stop at the toll plaza. He's been trying to get E-ZPass to respond to his complaints about violation notices. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. E-ZPass Customer Agreement Terms and Vuolo contacted the United States Postal Service to make sure the letters were received. This petition starter stood up and took action. "They will reimburse me for the June 25 toll snafu, delete some of the recent violationsand will be sending me an new internal transponder," Vuolo said. Each time he answered a violation, it showed the toll fee was charged to his account -- his account was always in good standing -- and the administrative fee was waived. is a digital nomad who travels full-time. I have a question about my E-ZPass account. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. And on Dec. 7, he received another violation notice -- but no answer to his letters. You could end up being billed for a prior renter's tolls. I called E-Z Pass again; more than once to no avail. How are customers supposed to travel and get to work with a suspended registration because these EZ pass toll's are such a high amount to pay and it is not affordable to many people across the state? "He had every right to expect a response to his letters, and we failed to provide one.". I recently received a Based in Virginia, USA. He noted that he had sent four complaint letters to the other address, return receipt requested, and none were answered. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Vuolo got a call on Jan. 7 from a customer service rep who said her office reviewed his complaints "with a fine-toothed comb.". I learned that the fees can vary wildly: To make these policies more understandable, let's take our example of a week-long rental from Boston airport with one toll at the beginning of the week and one at the end. Discounts on many of the roadways offering E-ZPass including the New York State Thruway Authority, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, New York State Bridge Authority and Port Authority of NY&NJ crossings, Saves fuel, while reducing congestion and emissions, You will receive your tags and account profile in 5-7 days, Credit Card or Checking Account Information which you will use to fund the account. Signing up for a Massachusetts E-ZPass account and getting a transponder is free and only requires a $20 initial load. None of his letters, sent return receipt requested, were answered. Vuolo wrote his third letter, again explaining the problem and asking for a new transponder. I looked through the bills I had initially received and confirmed by my posted check that I had paid and E-Z Pass had received my payment. Susan Quitzau. Still, whatever the case is, you must wait until you receive the toll violation notice before taking action. A close-up of Ralph Vuolo's E-ZPass transponder. I was told to send fifty dollars and the two dollars in tolls and they would waive a one time deal of twenty five dollars. On July 31, Vuolo received two more violation notices. account at a Walk-In-Center when will by transponders be activated? "I just got a letter yesterday that says if I don't pay by the 26th, they're going to suspend my registration. The rental car companies are happy to rent a toll pass to customers and charge absurd fees for providing the "convenience.". Now accepting donations to DRIVE SMART Virginia Education Fund. Whenever this happens, you will receive a toll violation notice that requires you to pay an administrative fee (for the infraction) and the tolls total cost. Vuolo wrote again, but this time via a paper letter. "No pun intended. And it's already generating big bucks in profit for agencies that run it - like the MTA, which oversees E-Z Pass on bridges and tunnels in New York City. Even if the system has been widely used for over thirty years, people often commit mistakes. Assuming these rates, the total cost charged by each of these rental car companies is: *E-Z Rent-A-Car price is "before taxes and fees.". Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. I need help Nina," says Brienza. Fee (s) Due $50. Then Total Due: $62. Some people might read such a line and say, Whoa, I owe $62. Ms. Sanchez is one of those people. Anyone with outstanding toll violations incurred onRoute 1 or I-95 from Jan. 1, 2014, to April 30, 2020, is eligible to participate in the program. account. There was a new violation for Sept. 10. I-66 Outside the Beltway is Now Open. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. I was assured that a new bill would be available online in about 24 hours and I could pay it then. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. NJ E-Z Pass - Fraudulent violations posted on auto license tag I surrendered in 2016. That's what's Suffolk resident Bill Brienza has nicknamed his E-Z Pass. Ralph Vuolo of Keyport has been trying to get someone at E-ZPass to address his complaint. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year. To come back in, there's tolls. We asked the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which handles Vuolo's E-ZPass, to review the customer's records. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. He kept getting violation notices from EZ Pass and thought his transponder wasn't working ot there was a toll machine malfunction, but E-ZPass hasn't responded to his inquiries. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). We recommend enabling JavaScript for the best experience using our website. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites. On 8/30/22 I sent a fed up letter to E-Z Pass Customer Service noting Plate and Violation Numbers and reiterating my dispute. On Aug. 17, Vuolo sent another letter, repeating what he said in the first letter, adding the new violation notices and again requesting a new transponder. If unpaid after 60 days Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. Choose, Click here to enroll I understand that New York City is a metropolitan area and a very busy and expensive area; however, there has to be a fair system where you can pay your toll's and avoid fees or have your fees waived if you are an EZ Pass account holder. The MTA recommends E-Z Pass customers sign up for mobile alerts that send email or text notifications when a balance is low. There are only two possible outcomes: will you pay for the toll or file a claim? 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. Instead, I was told I'd need to ask for the exact rate when I picked up my car in Boston. Will you do the same? "The state should fix the malfunctioning intermittent toll booth plate reading unit or deduct the error amount automatically from my account," he wrote. However, we can tell you thestandard price for it is $50. 375 Mccarter Hwy. Each toll violation results in the following: A civil penalty surcharge of $12.50 is added if the toll violation remains unpaid after 42 days. Therefore, it is highly recommended to act on them once you receive them, instead of just letting them pass. EZ-Pass is not going to just waive your fees, you can forget about that. There is a non-toll route to and from the airport that he left out of his sales pitch for the company's "all-inclusive" toll pass. Brienza recently got socked with thousands in fines after his account balance went into the negative. Chase's fraud department was apparently as skeptical as I was at this price and messaged me to confirm that I used my card for a $59.99 purchase with Dollar Toll Charge. (973) 368-1656. I pointed out this absurdity to the agent, and he shared another option: "You can go without the E-ZPass and just go through the tolls and pay $18.50 each toll you go through." Are Delaware's toll fines fair? Freedom of Information Act | Vuolo said he checked in with the post office on that day, finding another return receipt that was never returned. Will I get a discount on NH tolls if I use my transponder from another agency? Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. WebTo dispute the administrative fees, the customer will need to print, sign, and date the back of the violation notices and why she is not responsible for paying the administrative Customer must have a cell phone number and email address listed on their account. Here's an an example. To do this, make sure that the rental car's transponder isn't active, pass through the toll and then search the applicable tolling agency to pay the toll amount before it's billed to the vehicle owner by mail. The standard price for an E-ZPass Administrative Fee varies depending on the state. In my situation, my brother visited from Australia and used my 91 year old father's car during his vacation (July 1-18, 2022). WebInvoice Payment Administrative/Late Fees - $5.00 to $20.00 Statement Fee One-Time Special Request Mailed or Faxed: $3.00 (available for up to 6 prior months) Monthly Mailed Statements $2.00/month for paper statements (Private Accounts) $5.00/month for paper statements (Commercial Accounts) Commercial Surety Bond They will have 60 days from the date of the letter to settle toll debts. Our experience in Boston was emblematic of just how annoying the situation has become -- especially in Boston where the easiest ways to get to or from the airport are via a toll tunnel or bridge. Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card. Here Vuolo holds the 25th notice, and laid out before him are the other 24. Sometimes, people try to file a claim because theyve been wrongfully convicted, but these cases rarely get solved. This complaint was posted by a verified customer. As your vehicle enters the toll lane, the E-ZPass tag that is mounted on your vehicle's windshield is read. If that wasn't bad enough, every time he tried to correct the situation in writing with E-ZPass, he was ignored. They sent me a toll violation in the mail which I never received due to change of address but it was too late and the violation went into collections where they are forcing me to pay a $50 fee. I called them and they waived the fees. What do I do? Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. "We let Mr. Vuolo down," spokesman Tom Feeney said. To ensure that all users of MTA toll facilities pay their fair share, a series of enforcement measures were put in place to tackle toll payment evasion and chronic toll scofflaws, this included implementing a violation fee of $100 at our major facilities (RFK, Hugh Carey, Queens Midtown, Throgs Neck, Whitestone, Verrazano). he asked. Have you been Bamboozled? Of course, the obvious way to avoid toll convenience fees in a rental car is by avoiding tolls altogether. The rep also told him E-ZPass was reviewing some internal procedures, and gave Vuolo a direct number to call her should another problem arise. And it usually takes some time for the tolling agency to check the plate. This same day I drafted and sent copies of my original payment and violation stubs and noted again on Section B that I was submitting proof of toll payment and continue to dispute the $50/ea Administration fee(s). Google Maps, Waze and other mapping apps give you the option of only taking routes without tolls. Is The White Lotus breaking up with Four Seasons ahead of Season 3? "They've changed their procedure and are providing additional training to the employees involved to make sure it doesn't happen again," Feeney said. To open an account, however, you need to have a vehicle license plate to associate with it. Select Sign Up Now. Paying for the toll may be expensive for those who have committed the same infraction more than once. Before sending a violation notice to an E-ZPass customer, the system will re-check the customer account for a 10-day period to see if the balance has become good. Bill was seeing red when orange envelopes kept coming even after he says he paid the tolls. Call the Customer Service Center at 877-643-9727 or submit your question online at. Starting Oct. 1, drivers with toll violations will be sent a letter offering them amnesty. I called NJ E-Z Pass AGAIN on 10/10 and 4 times on 10/11, waiting in excess of 25 minutes for a human to take my call 2 of these times before hanging up. It turns out the return receipt for his Oct. 22 letter was never returned. Nobody at E-ZPass finds it unusual to have 25 violations.". But that's not what we ended up being charged. I need more mounting strips to attach my transponder to another vehicle. In less than two months, an unpaid $1 toll can balloon to a charge of $88.50. Where to Take Enterprise Rental for Oil Change: Tips and Options. Most rental car companies charge the same rental/admin fee at Boston as their other US locations, but there are some that take advantage of this captive market, such as Dollar and Thrifty. Pay by plate: Pay each toll, plus $3.95 admin fee per day of your Let's turn back the clock so you can join Vuolo on this misadventure. Some of them are not even taken seriously. "When a so-called violation occurs due to E-ZPass not reading a license plate properly, it's not a violation," Vuolo wrote. Now that's E-Z! "If I could give a big hug right now, I would," said Brienza. WebIf you use the Tag when your bank account has insufficient funds and payment is not made by means of your back-up credit card, you may incur administrative fees of up to $50 per occurrence; be charged the full, undiscounted charge; and/or be asked to surrender the Tag to E-ZPass via certified mail or to plaza personnel. Not even after the 10-day mark. Disgusted in NJ. I called the agency on 10/10/22 but was told they could not discuss this with me since it was my fathers account and I was not able to pass the phone to him for permission since he now lives in MA. 26. You should never use your transponder in a vehicle type other than the one you initially requested such as a car transponder in a tractor-trailer. I could not reach a human being to discuss and resolve this problem. Parking fees of less than $20.00 will be deducted from your E-ZPass account prepaid toll balance, while any Now motorists with unpaid balances are receiving threats. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. He said the rep believed the positioning of Vuolo's transponder may have been the reason the transponder didn't register. You can also contact Danielle Leigh directly: Email your questions, issues, or story ideas to 7OnYourSideDanielle@abc.com, American Airlines pilots vote to authorize strike, NYPD detective dies after spending 33 years in a coma, Officials, workers rally on May Day in New York City. Why did I receive a letter/call from the collection agency? "It seems all of a sudden I'm getting possible suspension notices but not one response to any of my complaint letters," Vuolo said. "To leave the airport, there's tolls. The people in collections say they have no way of waiving the fee; however, that is a complete lie and these collection agencies and EZ Pass New York are taking advantage of people with these cash less toll lanes and hitting people with over thousands of dollars in toll fees which they won't waive which is unfair especially if your an EZ Pass account holder. A week later, the online invoice still showed a $59.99 balance due and my credit card was charged for this full amount. That carried a fine totaling $2500 - a mark-up of more than 2300%. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Visit Website. "It's a malfunction and maybe there should be an apology letter instead of a violation.". Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Southwest unveils stunning new Hawaii-themed aircraft, How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value, IHG Rewards Premier Business card review: The annual fee is justified. $200 in fees for $3 in tolls and potential jail time. Each year, Delaware collects more than $190 millionfrom tolls on I-95 and Route 1. If it has, the toll will post to the customer account at the E-ZPass rate and no violation notice is sent. Text Alert Update. Our editorial policy at TPG is not to accept free travel from providers, so I declined the offer. This website includes hyperlinks to sites neither controlled nor sponsored by VDOT or the They accidentally pass through the lanes without a transponder. Customer Service Center Locations. However, the spokesperson conceded that "they did not process this refund appropriately." Since you do have an EZpass now it is quite easy to have the fee waived. PREVIOUS REPORTING:$200 in fees for $3 in tolls and potential jail time. As your vehicle passes through, your E-ZPass account is charged the proper amount. EZ-Pass to Refund 80,000 Administrative Fees Charged During COVID-19 Pandemic. Car to a pickup with six tires (dual wheels in the rear is not acceptable). When I entered the violation numbers, I got a response that it couldnt be found. It also promised to waive all initial first time violation fees once it's received full payment for tolls owed. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. This is highway robbery," he said. "They're saying I owe them $2500," complains Brienza. We reviewed a two-inch stack that included violation notices, letters to E-ZPass, fax confirmations and postal receipts. All rights reserved (About Us). NHDOT and its representatives are held to the same privacy standard as outlined in RSA 236:31, however law enforcement personnel may be able to obtain records upon court intervention or exigent circumstances. That means we went through exactly one toll during our rental -- as confirmed on the bill: But, instead of the $18.50 amount we were told we'd be billed, we received a bill from Dollar for $59.99: Tolls have become increasingly big business for rental car companies, particularly as the option to pay cash for tolls has vanished on many toll roads, as is the case in Boston. Car to a pickup truck with four tires is acceptable. After looking into the situation, a Hertz spokesperson was able to confirm that the toll-pass provider had agreed to reduce the charge to $17.95. The amnesty program allows drivers to instead pay a fee based on their number of toll violations. WebIf you use the Tag in a vehicle other than one of the class for which the Tag is designated, you may incur administrative fees of up to $100 per occurrence and/or be asked to With tolls in and out of the airport costing just $1.75 each for passenger vehicles, Dollar's policy was effectively that we had to pay $60 for $3.50 in tolls. BALTIMORE, MD (April 27, 2022) Two months after the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Board approved a new Customer Assistance Plan, the agency is continuing to offer a civil penalty waiver grace period for customers who pay their unpaid Video Tolls by 11:59 p.m. November 30, 2022. "This is the devil." You will find stories of people who received multiple letters and havent faced any consequences yet. First, you should know that there is a low probability of you receiving an Administrative Fee Waived Letter if you havent started a dispute with your violation. There is no phone number and I hesitate to go there only to wait in an endless line, then to be told they cant discuss or resolve this with me since they dont have my fathers permission to speak with me. The state said in the last three years it has collected on average8.4% of toll debt. Because of this mistake, Hertz offered to waive the toll amount and administrative fee "to help make this right and retain your future business.". This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. It is unclear why many people receive toll violation notices and are asked to pay administrative fees even if they did not commit any offense. "It's an entangled conundrum of a mess," laments Brienza. Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Vuolo even received several notices threatening a suspension of his registration. Quick links Bridge Toll Schedule Walkway Information Senior Citizen Discount FAQs About640,000 vehicles have unpaid toll violations, according to the state. The July 27, 2015 letter, sent certified mail, return receipt requested, noted the 10 violations he had received so far, plus the double charge from June, and Vuolo asked for a replacement transponder.