Blueheaven

Will be renting with AVIS in august for a week and it is a family trip. 3 years ago I remember looking for an official in the airport rental lobby for e-toll tag. picking it up and hanging it in the rental car and than setting up an account or whatever and you get charged one time $15 or something for the whole stay? Is this still going on?
I just want to avoid getting ripped off by AVIS on toll way charge. Should I remove their toll way tag or whatever they have this hiding in the car?

Thanks

guv1976

https://visitortollpass.com/

("Visitor Toll Pass")

AutoSlash

Yes, the program is ongoing. You can find more info here. It's best to ask Avis when you pick up the car how to ensure that you do not get billed by them. There are various tag types in various places, and in some cases, it's tied to the vehicle license plate, so even without a tag, you can till get charged.

bhomburg

The fees amount to $29.75 for your one-week rental, plus tolls, if you opt for Avis' "e-toll standard" toll service.
If you want to avoid these fees, you can use you own transponder. Get an EZ-Pass and use that. The Avis transponder is in a box that can be closed, rendering the device inoperable.

This what Avis has to say:
In the state of Florida. You are responsible for payment of all tolls incurred during the rental period. Avis offers an optional service called e-Toll that allows customers to use electronic toll lanes on highways, bridges, tunnels and other tolled passages. All Avis vehicles are pre-equipped to electronically process tolls. Unless you directly pay the toll yourself as described below (see “Opting Out of e-Toll”), you will automatically opt-into e-Toll and pay the fees described herein if you drive through an electronic toll.
e-Toll fees (Standard): If you use the e-Toll service at any time during your rental, you agree to pay a convenience fee of $5.95 for each day on which you incur a toll up to a maximum amount of $29.75 per rental period (not to exceed 30 days). In addition, you will pay all tolls incurred at the maximum prevailing non-discounted or cash rates posted by the toll authority.
e-Toll Unlimited: Avis also offers e-Toll Unlimited, which includes the cost of tolls and convenience fees. If you choose e-Toll Unlimited, you agree to pay a daily flat fee of $10.99 - $25.99, depending on checkout location, for each day of the rental period, regardless of whether or not you incur any tolls, up to a maximum of $54.95 - $129.95 per week. e-Toll Unlimited must be selected at the time you reserve or check out your vehicle, otherwise you agree to pay the standard e-Toll fees if you use the e-Toll service. Opting Out of e-Toll: If you do not choose e-Toll Unlimited, you may avoid the standard e-Toll fees on any day during the term of the rental if you ensure the transponder shield box is in the “closed” position and you (i) pay cash for all tolls, (ii) use your own adequately funded, properly mounted and compatible electronic toll device to pay for all tolls, (iii) pay the toll authority directly through any available online or other service according to the toll authority’s rules and requirements; or (iv) avoid electronic toll roads or passages.

sdsearch

I just use a GPS map system with an "avoid tolls" option (in my case a Garmin stand-alone unit, but I assume the "avoid tolls" option is available in some phone-based mapping systems too), and I never end up on toll roads. In fact, in the rare cases where something has a toll in only the opposite direction, I sometimes have to turn the "avoid tolls" off temporarily just to be able to get on a road or bridge which only has a toll in the opposite direction. So it's a bit overzealous, but it definitely shields me from tolls.

bhomburg

Unfortunately, Orlando is one of these locations where avoiding tolls is more hassle than it's worth. The system has been deliberately designed to make visitors pay for the infrastructure instead of taxing the residents. All major roads leading to/from attractions and the airport are toll roads, and avoiding the tolls requires travel on congested secondary roads with lots of lights. I gave up on trying to avoid tolls in the area at some point because the time gained more than made up for the price of the tolls.
In places like Orlando or NYC where tolls are a fact of life if one wants to get around, I usually rent from Dollar who have an all-inclusive option for around $50 a week (includes fees and all tolls) which is absolutely hassle-free and cheaper than Avis where tolls are added on top of the fees at the highest rates.

restrictonthehanger

If you already have an EZPass you can bring it with you and use it where E-Pass and SunPass are accepted. Basically almost everywhere in FL

m907

Buy a North Carolina QuickPass and keep it for rentals. You don't need to live in NC to buy one. It works in all the EZPass states plus Florida and Georgia.

Blueheaven

the best solution is get the ORLANDOVISITORTOLL pass in the rental lobby at MCO right? That's easy part. my main concern is how to avoid being charged for tolls by AVIS? what if they put the toll device somewhere where I can't see or where it can't be removed and then I am charged for tolls on the visitor pass and huge rate by AVIS? When I arrive, I am not standing in line for 1 hour. I will be going straight to the parking lot and the space number to pick up my reserved car. How do I decline AVIS TOLL?

guv1976

From Post #4, above:

"Opting Out of e-Toll: If you do not choose e-Toll Unlimited, you may avoid the standard e-Toll fees on any day during the term of the rental if you ensure the transponder shield box is in the “closed” position and you (i) pay cash for all tolls, (ii) use your own adequately funded, properly mounted and compatible electronic toll device to pay for all tolls, (iii) pay the toll authority directly through any available online or other service according to the toll authority’s rules and requirements; or (iv) avoid electronic toll roads or passages."

You can view a photo of a typical windshield-mounted toll transponder box here:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/as-ca...4c247f28b2/amp
​​​
("As Cashless Toll Roads Proliferate, So Do Rental Car Fees")

You can't (and shouldn't try to) remove the rental-car company's toll transponder from the car's windshield; rather, you just need to keep that transponder box closed at all times so that the only transponder which can be "read" at the toll facilities is your Orlando Visitor Pass transponder.

bhomburg

Avis toll transponders always are in an enclosure located near the base of the rear view mirror. If you close that box, the transponder doesn't work anymore and you can use your own.. That is very reliable.
You do not need to declne Avis' tolling. The "E-Toll standard" plan that you're automatically enrolled in will not incur any fees unless you're using their transponder or drive through a tolling-by-plate road without having your own transponder activated. Just make sure your transponder is working and the Avis one is in its closed box.
This works. Just look around this forum, there'd be tons more posts otherwise.

Auto Enthusiast

I suspect most rental tolling in FL is with license plate video, rather than transponder boxes.

SinglePapa2

interesting guess!
I pull into cash lane to make sure my own NY EZPASS I'm holding-up can get charged, and she says "YES". But display reads "SunPass GO" lol (I'm quite sure my AVIS windshield-transponder wasn't open.) Needless to say, my CC gets charged for day's service by AVIS. I call, and they reverse CC fully though. So I end up ahead, actually. PITA

EAJuggalo

For almost exactly two years now, all toll roads in FL are EZPass compatible.
It's part of your loyalty profile. I rent in MCO at least twice a year, get a VTP every time now and have never had an issue if I hang the tag and add the vehicles license plate to the app.

Blueheaven

you rent twice a year at mco? whats your status? did you get upgrade? SUV upgrades? thanks