Caution: Platepass daily admin fee charged for entire length of rental

[ijgordon]

So I forgot to bring my own EZ pass on a recent local NYC rental and figure I'd suck up the $2.50 administrative charge for using the PlatePass in the car.

Just got billed on my CC and pulled up the invoice online. PlatePass is charging the $2.50 per day administrative fee for each day of the rental, regardless of how many days you use the pass.

I was certain I should only have been charged for the # of days I used the pass, and I checked some old threads here that reveal this was the case. But now on both the PlatePass website, as well as Hertz's website it is indicated that the charge is based on the length of the rental. Which is of course completely illogical.

Does anyone recall any notification of this change?

I'm going to call PlatePass to complain, and I'm going to call Hertz to complain, and come hell or high water, I will get my $2.50 back.

[Seattlenerd]

There was no notification of this change, as far as I can tell, other than it was on the PlatePass invoices you download from the PlatePass site.

This now makes a $5 PlatePass surcharge on a four-day trip that goes up and down the Masspike once a $10 surcharge.

The only good news -- and I'm not sure how this happens -- is that frequently, PlatePass doesn't pass through all the charges (even though it's clear the transponder has been recognized when I go through the toll booth).

That said, I'm still willing to pay the higher rate for PlatePass -- especially after witnessing the horrific lines waiting to pay tolls earlier this month on Masspike.

[neuron]

Glad I did not use the Platepass for my recent Hertz rental in Manhattan. definitely, only saw $2.50/day of use. I guess they are taking a very liberal interpretation of this charge. My Mass Turnpike experience took about 5 minutes each way and found a slightly longer toll-free route back to Manhattan within NY, so was happy not to use it.

[noah]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check my platepass invoice for my recent week long rental from ALB to JFK -- only used PlatePass 2 of the 7 days.

[noah]

Was charged $10 Platpass fee -- $2.50 per day on a 6 day rental, but $10 is maximum weekly charge. I read the fine print and also discovered that the weekly fee will only be charged 1 of 2 weeks if you have a 2 week rental and only use it in one of the 2 weeks.

[rustyr]

Does anybody know if the rate you pay using platepass is the same as the locals pay vs cash?; i.e. in Chicagoland if you pay with cash at the tollbooths, the rate is double what u pay with I-pass.

[rustyr]

:

Originally Posted by rustyr

Does anybody know if the rate you pay using platepass is the same as the locals pay vs cash?; i.e. in Chicagoland if you pay with cash at the tollbooths, the rate is double what u pay with I-pass.

Nevermind- from another thread here I see they charge cash rates-at least in Illinois. I'll just close the transponder box and write them a check/ccard online: for the tolls when I get home. Hell of a lot cheaper then 2.50$ day.

[Auto Enthusiast]

I was surprised when I visited the Chicago suburbs that the toll authority allows paying missed tolls online. Nowhere else have I seen this. But then again, I heard of some other people in nearby, rural parts of the Midwest that were absolutely shocked: "Oh my God! They have tolls here!" Those people told me they were used to getting everything for free or cheap. And now, gasp! They actually have to pay for what they use.

By contrast, especially in the New York suburbs, in California, and to a lesser extent in Florida, expensive tolls are viewed as a fair fact of life.

[channa]

I got hit with this on a recent rental. I had no idea they had this, and I brought my own transponder with me. I went through the FasTrak lane here in the Bay Area, my transponder beeped (done this many times with rentals, never an issue), and expected to get charged on my FasTrak account.

I was surprised to see my credit card showing a PlatePass charge plus fees.

Not only that, Hertz billing has a queue of "greater than 3 hours" to reach someone.

Ridiculous waste of everyone's time to recoup a few bucks.

[enigmamatt]

I had a similar experience with these guys. Quite the scam, in my opinion. Got charged $8.25 for a $0.75 toll. I disputed the charge with Amex and they ultimately ruled in my favor.

Matt

[channa]

What really is annoying is that in Northern Cal, they don't use a transponder at all. They just register the plate, and the customer has no idea this is on the car (I had no idea of what PlatePass was until the charge hit my AMEX). There's no decal, no notice, nothing.

This doesn't seem right from a consumer fairness standpoint, since there doesn't appear to be an opt-out option.

My next CA rental is going to be interesting when I ask them to decline PlatePass on my rental.

I'm really starting to re-think Hertz as my preferred rental agency now. Not just over this, but because of what they've done to themselves:

- The cars are getting old.
- Customer service is no longer accessible (billing holds of > 3 hours, CS holds of > 30 mins).
- They answer the Gold Line with a bot.
- I had a car breakdown on me this year.
- Now they're wasting my time with this silly system.

Frankly, when I look back at this year, I've received better service when I've rented from Budget and Alamo. Worst thing they've tried to do to me is upsell me at a kiosk. They're just not the same high-quality, high-customer service agency they used to be.

Originally Posted by rustyr

:
I'll just close the transponder box and write them a check/ccard online: for the tolls when I get home. Hell of a lot cheaper then 2.50$ day.

I took it one step further. I refused to take the transponder with the vehicle today at IAD. I pulled it off and handed it to the attendant at checkout, and asked him to note it on my contract, which he did.

Watch them forget to reassign it to another vehicle now and charge me. LOL

[Auto Enthusiast]

"What really is annoying is that in Northern Cal, they don't use a transponder at all. They just register the plate, and the customer has no idea this is on the car (I had no idea of what PlatePass was until the charge hit my AMEX). There's no decal, no notice, nothing."

When I drove the GA-plated rental car from CA to NY, I used my own EZPass in IL and IN. The OH Turnpike only takes cash, until fall 2009, when they will join the EZPass Consortium. That was $9.25. NJ had a toll westbound crossing the Delaware Water Gap, so I didn't have to pay it. In CA, I-80 starts near the Bay Bridge, with no toll eastbound, but then crosses another bridge with a $6 toll. FasTrak and EZPass are not interoperable, so I simply went into the cash-only lanes and paid it with no problem.

[ijgordon]

Originally Posted by channa

What really is annoying is that in Northern Cal, they don't use a transponder at all. They just register the plate, and the customer has no idea this is on the car (I had no idea of what PlatePass was until the charge hit my AMEX). There's no decal, no notice, nothing.

This doesn't seem right from a consumer fairness standpoint, since there doesn't appear to be an opt-out option.

That seems absolutely ridiculous. But I'm still since you said in your prior post that you did have your own transponder in the Bay Area (which is Northern Cal). If you're saying that PlatePass specifically doesn't use a transponder but just bills via license plate photos, I guess that makes sense. In which case the "opt out" is to not go through an EZpass lane and pay cash. Which doesn't exactly help you if you want to use your own transponder...


I had a similar problem in the Northeast where I was dual-billed for a toll by PlatePass and my own EZPass. I emailed Hertz customer service and simultaneously disputed the charge with Amex. I don't remember if I provided the backup evidence (my EZ pass statement) or just said I had it, but the charge was reversed. You have to be careful because the box with the PlatePass can open from the vibrations of the car.

Secondly, as the Original Poster, I'd like to note that my $2.50 is in dispute with Hertz, who passed it along to PlatePass, but they're taking a while to get back to me. I originally didn't have a chance to contact Hertz, but after I noticed that the counter sign at the West 77th St. location still indicated the administrative fee is only charged for each day you use the PlatePass, I got incensed and contacted them. I am definitely going to pursue this because they're advertising falsely.

Lastly, I don't call Hertz when I have a customer service/billing issue. I use the web feedback form, and they've been good about following up.

[channa]

Originally Posted by ijgordon

That seems absolutely ridiculous. But I'm still since you said in your prior post that you did have your own transponder in the Bay Area (which is Northern Cal). If you're saying that PlatePass specifically doesn't use a transponder but just bills via license plate photos, I guess that makes sense. In which case the "opt out" is to not go through an EZpass lane and pay cash. Which doesn't exactly help you if you want to use your own transponder...

According to PlatePass, the opt-out is to go to my FasTrak account and register my rental when I get it, and un-register it when I return it. Kind of a pain, not sure if I'll do that.

AMEX's solution is to write a cease and decist letter to PlatePass, and if they hit me again, AMEX will ban them from charging my credit card again. I will definitley do this.

[ijgordon]

Seems like these folks are playing with fire with the credit card companies, at least Amex.