Dollar - Rip Off in Florida

We rented a Dollar car in Florida and then got a notice that we "violated" pass only Toll road (Tampa Cross Town Express Way) and we should have exited the toll road and taken a country road. We were charged 0.50 for the Toll and $50 for service fee. We paid every toll and followed every rule. There was no sign that the road was only for pass customers and others should exit (How does that help if you are already on the road?!)
Dollar agent told us over the phone that they can't waive the service fee!!! What a rip off!

Got stung with this in 2009, now the first stop is a prepaid 'tag' . This saves the missed tolls. Got mine from Publix does take 24hrs to get going and you need to add the license plate from the rental car online. But still works out a lot less than the administration fee from Dollar.

https://www.sunpass.com/sunPassRetailers

Got stung with this in 2009, now the first stop is a prepaid 'tag' . This saves the missed tolls. Got mine from Publix does take 24hrs to get going and you need to add the license plate from the rental car online. But still works out a lot less than the administration fee from Dollar.

https://www.sunpass.com/sunPassRetailers


You don't need to add the rental plate number the sunpass account. If it's a movable transponder, just move it from one car to another and it works just fine. I do it all the time and it works just fine. The sticker ones can't be moved, so don't use those for rentals.

I need a bit of advice about this Sunpass program and using a rental car from Dollar.

I intend to travel into the Tampa/Clearwater area for 3 days and will encounter tolls on I75/I275 if memory serves me. I will have the car for 2 weeks but should not encounter any other tolls outside of this one trip to Tampa/Clearwater. (will be staying in the W. Palm area mostly) I do not wish to pay Dollar the daily charge for Sunpass so I was thinking of purchasing the mini sticker transponder with a basic $10 account. Does this sound like a good idea? Would this annoy Dollar?
Any suggestions?

I just rented from Dollar last week.

I did the special special and after asking nicely I got a NICE NEW Town & County mini-van for 8 days. It was WAY better than our Siena at home. I was shocked.

We did drive on 528 but we had 2 tolls, .75 and 1 buck. You had to "exit" on one of them heading west from the airport on the toll road, versus the "opne road tolling".

Tolls stink, sorry to the OP, but we had a GREAT experience with Dollar at MCO.

I just rented from Dollar last week.

I did the special special and after asking nicely I got a NICE NEW Town & County mini-van for 8 days. It was WAY better than our Siena at home. I was shocked.

We did drive on 528 but we had 2 tolls, .75 and 1 buck. You had to "exit" on one of them heading west from the airport on the toll road, versus the "opne road tolling".

Tolls stink, sorry to the OP, but we had a GREAT experience with Dollar at MCO.

I also had a very good experience with Dollar, the price was very reasonable for the 14 days, the car was a real gas-saver, I got an inspection before and after the rental so no 'surprises' will show up on my cc. All in all very efficient

I would just get my own transponder. I am from Florida (20 years +). You never know what they will do next, at an exit. For instance, some exits do not accept cash. Repeat - DO NOT ACCEPT CASH. Is that un-American or what?

I would shop for my own transponder (Sunpass) and try to get the older kind that have the little green led. This way when you go through, it lights up and lets you know that everything is fine. Some of the newer ones do not have led's.

Just register it to your personal vehicle and carry it with you when you travel. You can port it from car to car and it works just fine. That is what I do quite frequently and I'm always coming and going to Florida. Sometimes it stays in my personal vehicle, sometimes I carry it with me when I rent a car. No worries, no problems.

bb

We rented a Dollar car in Florida and then got a notice that we "violated" pass only Toll road (Tampa Cross Town Express Way) and we should have exited the toll road and taken a country road. We were charged 0.50 for the Toll and $50 for service fee. We paid every toll and followed every rule. There was no sign that the road was only for pass customers and others should exit (How does that help if you are already on the road?!)
Dollar agent told us over the phone that they can't waive the service fee!!! What a rip off!

I thought they had to put signs up if a road is only for pass customers? What road was it?

I thought they had to put signs up if a road is only for pass customers? What road was it?

Name of road is in his post which you quoted in your reply

Tampa Cross Town Express Way

Can I use the IPass to go through Florida tolls?

Can I use the IPass to go through Florida tolls?

no