Posted on 02/21/2016 5:11:34 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Take a drive on Florida's toll road. It's not how far you go that determines what you pay. We found it may be the car you drive.
"I was mad going on vacation with my wife," explained Steve Pasek.
For Pasek, the memories of his Florida vacation are as fresh as the snow back in Ohio. He declined the rental car company's toll service.
With the rental car company's automated billing services, you are billed weeks after you return the car. A third party company is used to send you the bill.
While Pasek declined the service expecting to save money, he still got a bill.
"Before you know it I got stuck and had to go on freeways," explained Pasek.
Stuck on a freeway where cash lanes are often replaced by fast lanes where an electronic bill is created for your toll that's paid later.
"When I got back I got a bill for well over $100 in fees," Pasek said. "I was kind of shocked."
Sticker shock. The Attorney General said 152 drivers complained last year. They've been investigating since 2010. Drivers want the Attorney General to put the brakes on what some are calling "highway robbery."
"I don't think they have to gouge you," explained Marvin Wapnitsky of Lake Worth.
With some programs you're charged every day you rent the car even if your wheels never hit the turnpike.
"Don't charge me for what I'm not using," explained Wapnitsky. "My toll was $4 and I couldn't see paying another $24.75."
Drivers like Vincent Keane from Washington, D.C. are surprised to hear that they'll be charged each day.
"Not based on how many tolls you go through?" Keane asked. "I never heard of that and it doesn't make sense. I don't know why I'd want to pay an administrative fee. I'll certainly ask them."
We watched as Keane rented his Enterprise car. The clerk showed him a flyer.
"Through a new practice it's $2," Keane said reading the flyer.
A new practice? $2? That daily rate is years old. Two bucks is now $3.95.
"I wouldn't have known," Keane said.
"Did she tell you about the fees?" Strathman asked.
"No I had to ask," Keane said.
Enterprise Holdings which operates Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and National Brands said it has been proactively trying to bring attention to this issue and transparency.
In 2009 and 2010, the Florida Attorney General told companies to disclose these fees. They're in some contracts, also in flyers, and on the SunPass website. It's still catching drivers off guard.
"Just be truthful with the system with the way it's set up," explained John Lorincz.
Rental car companies say it's set up as a convenience to you, and their fees cover the significant cost of the program.
"I don't think they are interested in how much it's going to cost you. They are more interested in making a profit," explained Lorincz.
Lorincz was penalized for saying no to Dollar's toll service, and then accidentally hitting a toll road.
"The toll was 40 cents. The bill had an additional $15 handling fee on it," explained Lorincz.
Thrifty charges the same $15 penalty. It's not just once. It's every time you hit a toll up to a $105 maximum fee, if you decline the service and still use it.
"Then I got a bill for another bill for 40 cents," Lorincz said. "And another $15 administration fee to process that one."
A Hertz Corporation spokesperson, which operates the Dollar and Thrifty brands, said, "Customers are clearly notified of the potential of the $15 admin fee when they decline."
Hertz Corporation said the terms are in the rental agreement and related materials at the rental counter.
An 80-cent toll turned into $30.80 for Lorincz. A costly mistake he won't make again..
"If you're going to Florida look into buying a SunPass," Lorincz said.
While Florida is taking the heat, it's a nationwide problem. If you get a SunPass or EZPass, whatever pass you need in the state you are traveling, you need to add the rental car's make and model along with the license plate to your account before you hit the road. Make sure you include start and stop dates for billing to that rental car.
"We think it is important for customers to understand the toll situation on roads they plan to travel," said Beth Davis on behalf of The Hertz Corporation.
Florida Turnpike Enterprise officials have met with the rental car industry. The Turnpike says it doesn't have the authority to do anything.
"Our concern is the customer's overall experience when visiting Florida. We assist customers that have rental car issues through our SunPass Customer Service Center," spokesperson Chad Huff wrote in a statement.
One lawmaker tried to limit these fees this session, but that's already been removed from the bill. The bill now just requires disclosure.
Memo to Attorney General there in FL: Investigate your own fraud....Oh wait, maybe that’s the problem!
What’d she do?
I live in Florida. So much deceit in these tolls, billing practices, that I won’t use the toll roads, even as a resident.
They’re collecting money, taxes votes and power right? This is not complex. We’re being robbed not just at the federal level, but state, city, county et al. These are the biggest abusers of them all. Waste and fraud in government at all levels are high, some through the roof.
CA has ya beat, but give it time. You wouldn’t believe what these SOBs in CA have been allowed to do by voters who droll in cups. They have a government department for every conceivable thing. I kid you not. And if they don’t have one they’ll just create another one lickety-split.
Actually, the SunPass system here is pretty reasonable. This is pure unadulterated fraud on the part of the rental car companies.
You can get a SunPass for like 5 bucks at any gas station. Most of the toll roads in the Tampa area are pretty cheap; the priciest one I’ve ever been on in the state is the Turnpike, and even then I was on it for about 80 miles and it was only in the $5 - $10 range.
What these people are complaining about is that rental car companies don’t explain to you how anything works. Often times they will try to mislead the customer by letting them NOT get the Sun Pass with their rental (to “save money”), then encourage them to drive on the toll roads anyway. Since most toll roads are Toll-By-Plate (i.e., you just drive right on, there’s no booth, they just bill based on taking a pic of your tag), the renter just drives on the roads, probably assuming they’ll pay whatever the posted signs for the roads advertise.
Then because they didn’t get the “toll insurance” or whatever, they get some stupid giant bill from the third party.
They should crack down on this, because Florida makes a bunch of our money off of tourism sales tax, and fraud like this hurts business.
Toll roads are bad juju. Things like toll roads are gateway laws and only lead to all kinds of bad things for the folks paying taxes, fees, penalties, et al.
I agree with you 100% in principle, but I grew up right off of the last exit on I-95 before the Fort McHenry tunnel in Baltimore.
Compared to the northeast, the toll roads here are a pleasure. :)
I understand.
The SunPass works well on Florida toll roads, in that you purchase the pass and attach it to you windshield. You load the pass with funds before traveling on the toll roads. You are billed at the rate posted.
Problems arise in South Florida. Somewhere near Miami toll booths booths disappear. If you have a SunPass you are generally in good shape. Without one it is hard to avoid the toll by tags roads. they even have lanes designated as toll by tag lanes. It is easy, without knowing it, to end up on one of these roads, especially around Miami International Airport.
Unfortunately, somehow I ended up on one while taking someone to the airport. The total bill was about $15.00 for a $2.50 toll (handling charges added by the state).
It was after this experience that I purchased a SunPass.
I agree with others here. If you drive on a road, YOU SHOULD PAY FOR IT.
LOL.
I rented a car in Florida a couple years ago. I asked for the sun pass option and rolled through tolls for three days. The fourth day, I got to a toll I had to stop for. The rental company forgot to put the pass in and I had no coins. I tossed $.30 in the $.75 bin and took off.
The rental company was able to back charge everything and just charge me for the pass.
Plus, I got a Mustang convertible for $30 a day. My co-worked paid $70 a day for a Camry. He was mad at me for weeks.
I love this “tag number” business. Far as I know, tags go on clothing and license plates go on cars.
Pam is hot.
You hitting her in a different way than I would...
Pam is hot? She can use that as a campaign slogan next time around.
confirmed....we visit on business often and have Sunpass. No matter...I was charged a toll and penalties despite records that show legit Sunpass charges 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after, on the same road. Screw Dollar...they lost a customer.
Well, she is blonde...
Between the toll scam and red light camera scam I see no reason to ever visit Florida.
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