AVIS etoll charges? How to avoid it?
Apr 4, 2019, 1:50 pm
#31
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,691
My wife will describe me as CHEAP as I like to save. I have driven in Southern California for many years and always avoid the express lanes, so I believe I am ahead of the game there. When in SFO I was frustrated with the tools so when i had to cross the bridge I actually blocked my plates to avoid the toll ( I know bad and illegal, but at home, I do have one of those plate cover's that reflects photo radar). I may go to hell, and if I do, I will have more loose coins in my pockets than others, lol. When in Florida there are so many tolls I simply gave up and pay the $3.95 a day. To carry that much loose change and spend the time playing with the system and not all tolls have cash options, so I gave up and pay the $3.95 plus tolls.
Personally, hate tolls, it slows the traffic pattern and the bureaucracy is costly. I know it creates unskilled jobs like the TSA agents, just add the extra two cents if that to the price of fuel.
Personally, hate tolls, it slows the traffic pattern and the bureaucracy is costly. I know it creates unskilled jobs like the TSA agents, just add the extra two cents if that to the price of fuel.
Tolls are supposed to help pay for construction and maintenance of the road you're on. For public roads they reduce the tax burden on residents. For private roads (rare) they give companies a reason to run them.
Apr 4, 2019, 3:11 pm
#32
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SFO/DTW
Programs: DL PM 0.5MM, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Gold, SPG Plat, Marriott Gold, Avis PC, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,988
My wife will describe me as CHEAP as I like to save. I have driven in Southern California for many years and always avoid the express lanes, so I believe I am ahead of the game there. When in SFO I was frustrated with the tools so when i had to cross the bridge I actually blocked my plates to avoid the toll ( I know bad and illegal, but at home, I do have one of those plate cover's that reflects photo radar). I may go to hell, and if I do, I will have more loose coins in my pockets than others, lol. When in Florida there are so many tolls I simply gave up and pay the $3.95 a day. To carry that much loose change and spend the time playing with the system and not all tolls have cash options, so I gave up and pay the $3.95 plus tolls.
Personally, hate tolls, it slows the traffic pattern and the bureaucracy is costly. I know it creates unskilled jobs like the TSA agents, just add the extra two cents if that to the price of fuel.
Personally, hate tolls, it slows the traffic pattern and the bureaucracy is costly. I know it creates unskilled jobs like the TSA agents, just add the extra two cents if that to the price of fuel.
May 18, 2019, 10:58 pm
#33
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: San Diego
Posts: 32
- Some of the express lanes in San Diego County are free if you have 2+ people. (I-15 express lanes) (511sd.com)
- Set your GPS to “avoid toll roads.”
- Avoid State Route 125 ( South Bay Expressway 511sd.com)
- Close the windshield transponder, if so equipped.
- If you end up on “The Toll Roads of Orange County,” (73, 133, 241, 261) pay online within 5 days so they don’t bill Avis. (www.thetollroads.com)
You should be fine.
You can pay for your toll road by the license plate number. But not if your car is a rental! Instead you have to pay FEES to the car rental company! Gosh, I wonder how much they paid to have that rule made.
May 19, 2019, 1:32 am
#34
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: AUS
Posts: 281
Well, the 2+ people rule only applies if you put that you have 2+ people in your car BEFORE you go on the toll road. I couldn't find any such device in my rental.
You can pay for your toll road by the license plate number. But not if your car is a rental! Instead you have to pay FEES to the car rental company! Gosh, I wonder how much they paid to have that rule made.
You can pay for your toll road by the license plate number. But not if your car is a rental! Instead you have to pay FEES to the car rental company! Gosh, I wonder how much they paid to have that rule made.
Also nothing prevents you from adding your rental vehicle to your TheTollRoads online/app account, I did it successfully last time I was in OC.
Jun 16, 2021, 12:29 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,492
Had an Avis rental in Orlando this spring for 3 days. I only went through two tolls, and I paid both of those in cash. Imagine my surprise when I get a receipt from etoll. The odd thing was that I didn't drive the car on the day the toll was incurred, and in fact, I was sleeping at the specific time indicated (7:05am). I called etoll and the agent told me the toll was incurred on a highway in Miami. I told him it must be a mistake, as I never visited Miami. He said I must have because the transponder registered there. I said you can look at my rental receipt and I only drove 80 miles over the entire 3 day period, it would be impossible to drive the car from Orlando airport to Miami and back in 80 miles. He then got more aggressive and told me my card had already been charged, but eventually he agreed they would investigate. Three days later, this:
Thank you for contacting us with your billing concerns.
I have reviewed your account and identified a processing error. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I have submitted your account to be adjusted in full in the amount of $14.41.
You should receive the refund to your credit card within the next 5 business days. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
So check your etoll receipts carefully!
Thank you for contacting us with your billing concerns.
I have reviewed your account and identified a processing error. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I have submitted your account to be adjusted in full in the amount of $14.41.
You should receive the refund to your credit card within the next 5 business days. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
So check your etoll receipts carefully!
Last edited by Billy Mumphrey; Jun 16, 2021 at 12:34 pm
Jun 1, 2022, 8:08 am
#36
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Zichron Yakov, Israel
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 808
I had 4 Avis trips in Chicago, NY/NJ, Miami, and NY/NJ in the first half of May. I had my ezpass tag with me. For each rental I tried to add the Car rental license plate to my EZ Pass NY account, but it would not allow it because the plate was already registered to Ezpass. I didnt go through any tolls in Chicago, the tolls in NY/NJ all billed to my Ezpass transponder, and some of the Miami area tolls billed to my Ezpass transponder. But the tolls on SR836 and SR874 all got billed to etoll even though I had my Ezpass transponder out for all of those tolls and the in-car Sunpass box was closed the whole time. I do not see those tolls showing up on my Ezpass account. So it seems that maybe for those two toll roads the system prefers to bill the license plate instead of to the Ezpass Transponder.
I wish Ezpass had a way to register rental car plates to your Ezpass tag for this sort of situation.
I wish Ezpass had a way to register rental car plates to your Ezpass tag for this sort of situation.
Jun 1, 2022, 9:52 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
I had 4 Avis trips in Chicago, NY/NJ, Miami, and NY/NJ in the first half of May. I had my ezpass tag with me. For each rental I tried to add the Car rental license plate to my EZ Pass NY account, but it would not allow it because the plate was already registered to Ezpass. I didnt go through any tolls in Chicago, the tolls in NY/NJ all billed to my Ezpass transponder, and some of the Miami area tolls billed to my Ezpass transponder. But the tolls on SR836 and SR874 all got billed to etoll even though I had my Ezpass transponder out for all of those tolls and the in-car Sunpass box was closed the whole time. I do not see those tolls showing up on my Ezpass account. So it seems that maybe for those two toll roads the system prefers to bill the license plate instead of to the Ezpass Transponder.
Jun 1, 2022, 2:44 pm
#38
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Zichron Yakov, Israel
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 808
Yes, while the transponder was not physically mounted on the windshield, my passenger held up the tag against the windshield each time exactly the way it would be if mounted on the windshield.
Jun 1, 2022, 3:03 pm
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
Might not have made a difference, but I would always advise physically mounting the transponder in the recommended position on the windshield. The NY E-Z Pass Service Center is happy to send to you a supply of mounting strips, at no charge.
Jun 1, 2022, 3:08 pm
#40
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
I had 4 Avis trips in Chicago, NY/NJ, Miami, and NY/NJ in the first half of May. I had my ezpass tag with me. For each rental I tried to add the Car rental license plate to my EZ Pass NY account, but it would not allow it because the plate was already registered to Ezpass. I didnt go through any tolls in Chicago, the tolls in NY/NJ all billed to my Ezpass transponder, and some of the Miami area tolls billed to my Ezpass transponder. But the tolls on SR836 and SR874 all got billed to etoll even though I had my Ezpass transponder out for all of those tolls and the in-car Sunpass box was closed the whole time. I do not see those tolls showing up on my Ezpass account. So it seems that maybe for those two toll roads the system prefers to bill the license plate instead of to the Ezpass Transponder.
I wish Ezpass had a way to register rental car plates to your Ezpass tag for this sort of situation.
I wish Ezpass had a way to register rental car plates to your Ezpass tag for this sort of situation.
Jun 2, 2022, 7:32 am
#41
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,131
I had 4 Avis trips in Chicago, NY/NJ, Miami, and NY/NJ in the first half of May. I had my ezpass tag with me. For each rental I tried to add the Car rental license plate to my EZ Pass NY account, but it would not allow it because the plate was already registered to Ezpass. I didnt go through any tolls in Chicago, the tolls in NY/NJ all billed to my Ezpass transponder, and some of the Miami area tolls billed to my Ezpass transponder. But the tolls on SR836 and SR874 all got billed to etoll even though I had my Ezpass transponder out for all of those tolls and the in-car Sunpass box was closed the whole time. I do not see those tolls showing up on my Ezpass account. So it seems that maybe for those two toll roads the system prefers to bill the license plate instead of to the Ezpass Transponder.
I wish Ezpass had a way to register rental car plates to your Ezpass tag for this sort of situation.
I wish Ezpass had a way to register rental car plates to your Ezpass tag for this sort of situation.
FWIW, I have a suction cup holder that has the Velcro on the other side for easy use in a rental. It looks something like this
https://smile.amazon.com/AutoBoxClub...27814868&psc=1
Jun 4, 2022, 4:11 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,691
