Avis eToll - are we customers or criminals?
 

So, I receive a envelope in the post, with the Avis eToll logo on the top left corner. In massive, bold letters, taking up half the front of the envelope, it states "UNPAID TOLL NOTICE". This is, of course, right next to my name and address. I open the envelope. It's headed "Notice of Processed Charge". The first paragraph of the letter then goes on to say "Please be advised that you have been charged on [date] in the amount of $[amount] to the credit card ending [xxxx]." The last paragraph says "If this matter has already been resolved and/or you have already paid the amount in full, please disregard this letter."

I already knew they had charged my credit card $[amount] (which the writer of the first paragraph knew, but apparently not the person in charge of envelopes and final paragraphs). I checked on the e-Tolls.com site. Sure enough, tolls and daily charges for $[amount] are there for what appear to be New Jersey toll plazas.

Problem: I had a rental of 100 miles total in and out of DCA. It was physically impossible for me to have gone through these toll plazas. Obviously a massive mistake by Avis / eToll (transponder in wrong car, perhaps?)

Called the eToll number, only available 9am to 5pm. I can imagine the problems I'm going to have with them. Called the Avis First number, but "we can only make reservations and make any changes to your current reservation". Emailed Avis customer service (I want everything in writing!), providing all the details. If they're smart, they'll realize how stupid it is and work to resolve it, rather than have me battle with eToll. But, given they don't actually read the emails they get sent, I'm not holding my breath. That was Wednesday night (no response by Thursday night). Quieter day at work Friday, so plan to call eToll.

Spurred by this, I have in the meantime been in email discussions with the helpful and responsive Hertz Gold customer service, who it appears will status match me with no problem.

What will happen first: Hertz make me 5* or Avis/eToll agree to cancel the erroneous charge?

And I wonder who'll be getting the bulk of my 35 rentals this year....

I would think calling Avis support would help with this. You can usually get to someone logical who would understand that what you're being "accused" of is not possible. That said, if you have the option of moving across to Hertz, I've heard only good things about people's experience with them. I would probably go through Avis rather than eToll. As a second thought, I know with red light cameras, they have to actually have a picture of you for a ticket to stick. Do they have to do anything of this sort with toll booths? I know they take pictures, at least of license plates when you go through. If you can get those, it should not match the reservation that you had. This being said, it all comes down to whether or not it is worth it for you. Not sure what the charge is.

Did you speak with the eTolls people? I've had to call them before and they were unnervingly helpful - took about 2 minutes to bring up the full record of charges, corrected a very large mistake (similar to yours - I had a charge of about $90 appear on my card from them due to "unpaid" charges). There was no detailed questioning from them at all, and the credit appeared on my credit card statement a couple of days later. I've had 2 other similar calls with them to correct charges.

I was expecting the worst too.

Thanks for the information about your experiences.

I was about to call them, but then I just got an email from Avis customer service, saying they had escalated the issue to their "E-Tolls liaison" who will "investigate" this and contact me directly. Hopefully the eTolls person will be as helpful as those in your experience, and this will all be sorted out quickly.

Luckily the amount in question is nowhere near $90 - I think it's $12 and change. It's not enough to actually matter. What I'm really annoyed about (and this is just another example) is the pervading attitude Avis seems to have that a customer is guilty until they can prove themselves innocent, and the inability of their customer service people to actually listen to or read what you are trying to communicate to them. It's not a way to build customer loyalty!

Hertz notified me at 12.08pm that they have status matched me to 5*.

Avis notified me at 2.12pm that I have been issued a full credit for the erroneous eToll charges.

Hertz win!

I wound up with a $33 unauthorized charge on my credit card without ever getting a receipt, and after calling Avis, finding out what I was getting gouged for.

The $3.95 daily "convenience charge" is a nice euphemism for theft.