Dartford Crossing warning (1 Viewer)

[GJH]

Just seen on another forum.

A motorhome owner duly paid his Dart Charge in advance for his motorhome but ended up with a Penalty Charge. Apparently he was towing a car on a trailer and the cameras picked it up as an independent vehicle rather than being on a trailer.

The Dart Charge office has admitted the fault and the charge has been withdrawn but the person concerned recommends covering the number plates of a car on a trailer when using the Dartford Crossing.

 

[knokinonabit]

Don't you just love modern technology

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

I guess it begs the question: "2 vehicles = 2 charges?"

A nice discussion topic for the day!

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[Alan]

I towed a caravan over this week and only charged £2.50 !!!!!!yet!!!!!!!!

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Been through with the toad a few times and also towing a boat and my account has only ever been debited for the single vehicle so I guess that it doesn't happen too often

 

[scotjimland]

Been through with the toad a few times and also towing a boat and my account has only ever been debited for the single vehicle so I guess that it doesn't happen too often

but the toad and boat trailer will have the same plate as the towing vehicle...(or they should have)

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[DuxDeluxe]

but the toad and boat trailer will have the same plate as the towing vehicle...(or they should have)

Thanks Jim - didn't pick that up. I guess that is why a lot of commercially trailered vehicles have gaffer tape over the number plate; now I know why obvious really.

 

[DJA]

I have used the crossing whilst also Toading. We have never been double charged even though the Toad has a Dart Tag in it as it has its own crossing account.

Have to think about that one as when you cross with the car alone the Dart Tag emits a sound just before you enter the Tunnel or finish crossing the bridge.

 

[scotjimland]

I have used the crossing whilst also Toading. We have never been double charged even though the Toad has a Dart Tag in it as it has its own crossing account.

to be legal, the toad's plate should be covered with the towing vehicles plate ..

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[KeithChesterfield]

Thank goodness he wasn't driving a car transporter!

 

[trophychap]

We subscribed the other month before we went to France opted to do manual top ups, as we are not regular users, and we received an e-mail whilst we were there telling us we needed to top our account up as we only had £8 whatever left which apparently is below our minimum agreed Tenner. They are having a laugh methinks at our expense.

So instead of having eight quids of my beer monies they want me to send them another tenner!

 

[GJH]

We subscribed the other month before we went to France opted to do manual top ups, as we are not regular users, and we received an e-mail whilst we were there telling us we needed to top our account up as we only had £8 whatever left which apparently is below our minimum agreed Tenner. They are having a laugh methinks at our expense.

So instead of having eight quids of my beer monies they want me to send them another tenner!

Did you, perhaps pick the wrong minimum option? I opened my account with a tenner in January knowing we would be doing a return trip that month. The charges were taken properly and balance reduced to £6.66, which it has stayed at ever since, and I have not received any top-up e-mails.

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[DJA]

to be legal, the toad's plate should be covered with the towing vehicles plate ..

Hi Jim

The number plate was covered but the Dart Tag could still have registered as it would normally do by "Bleeping" just before entering the tunnel.

Doug

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Hi Jim

The number plate was covered but the Dart Tag could still have registered as it would normally do by "Bleeping" just before entering the tunnel.

Doug

I don't think Dart Tags work any more. As far as I'm aware everything is done by ANPR cameras.

 

[Allanm]

My Brother in law came over the bridge and back a few moths ago. He is registered, with his car on my Mother in laws account. The account was in credit ( about £30 on it at the time)
He got a penalty charge notice saying he hadn't payed for a crossing and a demand for payment. Looking at the account, he was charged to go back, but not the first crossing and despite ringing the company who operate the crossing and explaining about the account and that they successfully charged him for his second crossing, he was still made to pay the charge.
But, its operated by a government department who are as far away from reality as the inland revenue.

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[filopastry]

I gladly visit the UK rarely, maybe once per year in a French registered vehicle. Now I can read English (just .. normally speak Yorkshire) but for the foreign tourists visiting Blighty who speak little or no English what happens regards the payments and fines for non payment of the bridge/tunnel ??

 

[stewartwebr]

I know this is an old thread but worth continuing. We have just returned from main land Europe to find a charge for not paying the crossing fee when we went across heading to the tunnel. I was sure I paid it but did had doubt in my mind. I thought I would take the easiest option and pay the 35GBP charge before it increased to the 75GBP charge.
On trying to make payment it kept telling me I was owe nothing, so had to call. I was informed that payment of 2.50GBP was made on the day of the crossing, but I paid the wrong charge I should have paid 3GBP, the cost for a truck. I informed them I was a motorhome and had paid the correct amount. I was offered two options. One was to appeal the charge or the second was for me to pay the 50p and they would waiver the fine. However, it was not possible to make a Visa payment for less than 1GBP so could not pay just 50p. The lady got a little upset when I enquired what charge I could encour to Dartford Crossing for the extra 50p I was going to have to pay on top of the 50p they insist I was owed, given they were charging me 75GBP because I owed them 50p, so now they owe me potentially 50p what will they give me? She failed to see my logic. I opted to appeal the charge and have sent off a copy my V5 which clearly shows Motor Caravan as the vehicle type.
Unfortunately, we used the crossing on the way back so assume I shall get another ticket for the way back as well as I only paid the 2.50GBP as per the requirements for a motorhome.
It is extremely frustrating, I use the Tyne Tunnel a lot and that system actually tells you what they think you are owed, and you pay it, removing any chance of ambiguity like this.

 

[olley]

I have better things to do with my time than argue over 50p, I would have paid and forgotten about it.

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[Charlie57]

But they could not take 50p

 

[pappajohn]

I would have just given them a quid and forgot about it

 

[stewartwebr]

The concern was not the 50p it was the fine of 75GBP for paying 50p less than they claim I am owed due to them claiming I am driving a truck and not a motorhome. Also, I would have the same issue every time i use the crossing.

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[Nanniemate]

I would have thought if towing you would naturally cover the inactive number plate
Another thought
Can you get done for speeding twice

 

[stewartwebr]

I have better things to do with my time than argue over 50p, I would have paid and forgotten about it.

That was not the concern, the concern is I was fined 75GBP for underpaying 50p for them wrongly categorising my vehicle and the same shall happen for the return journey. If it was only 50p I would have paid and forgotten about it.

 

[chaser]

That was not the concern, the concern is I was fined 75GBP for underpaying 50p for them wrongly categorising my vehicle and the same shall happen for the return journey. If it was only 50p I would have paid and forgotten about it.

We have had almost the same as this, as you all know we have an ambulance and it is called Renault trucks on the make, well we have been through the tunnel many times and pay two crossings as we go , anyway the last time we came back we also had a penalty notice for 50 p or get fined .
On trying to pay the 50p online it wouldn't take it, so rang the number and got a very nice lady, who looked into it and said some idiot (her word) had booked the return as a lorry because it said trucks in the description, anyway she just quashed it all there and then and never heard another word about it.

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[Nanniemate]

We have had almost the same as this, as you all know we have an ambulance and it is called Renault trucks on the make, well we have been through the tunnel many times and pay two crossings as we go , anyway the last time we came back we also had a penalty notice for 50 p or get fined .
On trying to pay the 50p online it wouldn't take it, so rang the number and got a very nice lady, who looked into it and said some idiot (her word) had booked the return as a lorry because it said trucks in the description, anyway she just quashed it all there and then and never heard another word about it.

nice to know taking control and common sense is alive and well, I picked up a £60.00 parking charge at the services the other week contacted the management and they agreed it was a admin error and the charge was quashed got the letter from parking eye on the weekend to confirm this

 

[stewartwebr]

Update on my previous post: Recieved notification from Dart Team this morning that my appeal around the charges and subsequent fines have been upheld and they acknowledge an administrative error in their detection system which has been updated. My 50p shall be refunded, but more importantly fines cancelled and system updated to reflect my motorhome is a motor caravan as defined by DVLA in the V5.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Has all this made the M26 busier ?

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[JoshnPen]

I had a crossing (2 actually, tunnel and bridge) which i forgot until about 3 days later. I paid for the two crossings in a panic but inevitably received the penalty letters. I called up to explain that i had paid, but too late. The young lady asked if i wanted to appeal the penalty. I said I didn't have any grounds to appeal because i paid too late, but was there anything she could do? She asked again if I wanted to appeal so we had a circular conversation before she said that my appeal had been successful and I had nothing to pay! Even sent an email confirmation! There's some nice people around.....