Austrian Go Box fines help

[On the road again]

We travelled back from Italy, over the Brenner, on 19th Sept 2019 and exited at Telfs Ost to make our way through Germany to the Mosel.We purchased a Go Box on entry into Austria and got used to the beeps as we passed under the motorway gantries.

Just this morning I have recieved an invoice from ASFINAG- the Austrian toll authority -for 240 Euros!!
It appears that we had 'insufficient credit' and indicates that we travelled from Pettnau to Telfs Ost, circa 8km, without enough credit on the Go Box.
Has anyone any experience of dealing with them, will they chase me for it or can I argue my case that the box did not start beeping to warn me that I was oout of credit which I reckon would have been about 8e?

 

[pappajohn]

Yes, they will persue it.
You probably can appeal but they will win anyway as its your responsibility to ensure you are in credit. .

 

[Ridgeway]

In terms of flexibility i tend to think of the Germans as Vulcans and the Austrians as Klingons ie about as flexible as glass.....

I suspect they will chase for it or even pass the fine over to a company that will. Worth a call to them but as said i doubt you'll get much joy.

Is the Go Box supposed to inform you if you're out of credit ? never knew it did that.

 

[On the road again]

In terms of flexibility i tend to think of the Germans as Vulcans and the Austrians as Klingons ie about as flexible as glass.....

I suspect they will chase for it or even pass the fine over to a company that will. Worth a call to them but as said i doubt you'll get much joy.

Is the Go Box supposed to inform you if you're out of credit ? never knew it did that.

Apparently it beeps more than once when you pass under a gantry as you get close to the credit limit but neither of us heard anything different to the norm.

 

[Hymerbell]

Apparently it beeps more than once when you pass under a gantry as you get close to the credit limit but neither of us heard anything different to the norm.

I have had 2 speeding fines in France....sent to my address in England plus 1 entering a restricted zone in Milan ( not to my knowledge I didnt !) over the last 5 years....threats of this will increase to multiples of original fine....up to €240 in one case...ignored them all and chucked them in the bin....never heard anything again....I think it’s a myth that they get passed to British authorities and they chase you....caveat to any Plod reading this is that I am being held hostage at gunpoint and being made to say this by my captors and have never not paid a speeding fine in my life.

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[Brains]

A lesson to be learned by us all on this one!
Basically you need to stay in credit, and I'll bet they don't return any over-payments!

Out of interest, it there any checking on weight ?
My Mercedes Sprinter based motorhome comes as 3,500kg, 3850kg (mine), and a 4,000kg
There is simply a paper exercise to select the weight, there is no difference physically.

Therefore could I simply buy €9.00 Vignette (for 3,500kg and under) at the border and no one would be any the wiser ?

 

[Brains]

I have had 2 speeding fines in France....sent to my address in England plus 1 entering a restricted zone in Milan ( not to my knowledge I didnt !) over the last 5 years....threats of this will increase to multiples of original fine....up to €240 in one case...ignored them all and chucked them in the bin....never heard anything again....I think it’s a myth that they get passed to British authorities and they chase you....caveat to any Plod reading this is that I am being held hostage at gunpoint and being made to say this by my captors and have never not paid a speeding fine in my life.

I'm aware that operators of the Dartford Bridge have been actively chasing non-payment for EU nationals.
At least one repeat offender was stopped at Dover and not permitted on the ferry until all outstanding fines had been paid.

 

[Hymerbell]

I'm aware that operators of the Dartford Bridge have been actively chasing non-payment for EU nationals.
At least one repeat offender was stopped at Dover and not permitted on the ferry until all outstanding fines had been paid.

Who in their right mind wants to go to Dartford ! Just don’t go there....sorted.

 

[Oldbob]

Dartford crossing was a rip off anyway. 6 axle artic 3.90 at 44 tons.
6 axle rigid with trailer, 44 tons, 5.80 ! Just because we had trailer, same as artic we said, different type of trailer !
So as we had the axle modified to lift even when under weight we would lift the axle, 5.80 they say ..... Axles up we said, but your loaded, but the axle is up ! 3.90 and that's all you are getting we said. And that was that, clear the barriers and put axle back down again !

 

[Hymerbell]

I'm aware that operators of the Dartford Bridge have been actively chasing non-payment for EU nationals.
At least one repeat offender was stopped at Dover and not permitted on the ferry until all outstanding fines had been paid.

So the operators of the Dartford Bridge go down to Dover and interfere with Ferry Company’s income...or are you saying UK Border Force are being used to collect toll fines...think they’ve got better things to do.

If I go to Italy and get a fine then Brittany Ferries chase that up and stop someone getting on a Ferry they have paid for...it’s all rubbish put out on social media to try and scare people into paying the fines. I notice your avatar ...thank God we’ve left the EU so it will hopefully put us back into control of our own citizens and stop the British public funding French Autoroutes.....they don’t fund ours !

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[SMB]

Only used a go box once, same thing where I got used to the beeps. On arrival at the campsite I hooked up etc then as an afterthought went onto the internet to find out what the increased beeping was all about. Horrified when I found that four beeps meant you were out of credit and from that point you have four hours to top up! Since I was left with 90 minutes out came the bike and fortunately got to a garage with a top-up machine. Of course the minimum top-up was around 60 euros or thereabouts. Proper robbers the Austrians. I've still got the box, didn't realise you are supposed to hand it in and get your credit back if you don't intend to return in the near future...that was years ago. Might try it one day if we return

 

[Raul]

I had a speeding fine from Austria, 112 km in a 100 zone on motorway at the back of Wien. I have paid it. Once they have your details and address, if you ignore it, it goes to court. I need to go there again and don’t want any problems. Not worth it. Next time, extra vigilance when speed limit changes out the blue.

 

[Hymerbell]

A lesson to be learned by us all on this one!
Basically you need to stay in credit, and I'll bet they don't return any over-payments!

Out of interest, it there any checking on weight ?
My Mercedes Sprinter based motorhome comes as 3,500kg, 3850kg (mine), and a 4,000kg
There is simply a paper exercise to select the weight, there is no difference physically.

Therefore could I simply buy €9.00 Vignette (for 3,500kg and under) at the border and no one would be any the wiser ?

That’s a very good question....mines the same....3850kg....if I do decide use Austrian motorways....and I’ll do my danmdnest not to....I’ll buy a Vignette like I used to in my previous MH which was 3500kg....of course it has the GVW on the plate on the side..... maybe some tipex?

 

[Brains]

So the operators of the Dartford Bridge go down to Dover and interfere with Ferry Company’s income...or are you saying UK Border Force are being used to collect toll fines...think they’ve got better things to do.

The ultimate owners of the Dartford bridge are HMG
HMG (and for that matter Joe Public) have every right to stop a fugitive fleeing the country.
Not only do the UK Border Force stop people who have evaded fares and tolls they have been known to stop people leaving with unpaid hotel bills and other misdemeanors.

 

[Hymerbell]

I had a speeding fine from Austria, 112 km in a 100 zone on motorway at the back of Wien. I have paid it. Once they have your details and address, if you ignore it, it goes to court. I need to go there again and don’t want any problems. Not worth it. Next time, extra vigilance when speed limit changes out the blue.

Nah...wasted your money...it wouldn’t have gone to court...there is no court...you weren’t there to stand in the dock...it would have been ignored.

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[Brains]

...thank God we’ve left the EU so it will hopefully put us back into control of our own citizens and stop the British public funding French Autoroutes.....they don’t fund ours !

Errr, actually the EU did give a substantial fund to the UK road system, as they did for most of Europe, with the exception of France, as their road system is funded by tolls and the tax on fuel.

 

[Hymerbell]

Only used a go box once, same thing where I got used to the beeps. On arrival at the campsite I hooked up etc then as an afterthought went onto the internet to find out what the increased beeping was all about. Horrified when I found that four beeps meant you were out of credit and from that point you have four hours to top up! Since I was left with 90 minutes out came the bike and fortunately got to a garage with a top-up machine. Of course the minimum top-up was around 60 euros or thereabouts. Proper robbers the Austrians. I've still got the box, didn't realise you are supposed to hand it in and get your credit back if you don't intend to return in the near future...that was years ago. Might try it one day if we return

I love Austria....been there many times in a 3500kg motorhome. I’ll go to the ends of the earth to avoid motorways now I have a 3850kg van....no way will I get a Go Box.!

 

[Raul]

Nope, I know several people that have been thru it, and they wished they paid the small fine in the first place. When you return, and your details pop up, you are in their database. They have impounded my cousin’s car until he paid up.

 

[Hymerbell]

...thank God we’ve left the EU so it will hopefully put us back into control of our own citizens and stop the British public funding French Autoroutes.....they don’t fund ours !

Errr, actually the EU did give a substantial fund to the UK road system, as they did for most of Europe, with the exception of France, as their road system is funded by tolls and the tax on fuel.

Haha....they didn’t GIVE us a substantial fund....they gave back a tiny percentage of what we gave THEM

 

[Hymerbell]

Nope, I know several people that have been thru it, and they wished they paid the small fine in the first place. When you return, and your details pop up, you are in their database. They have impounded my cousin’s car until he paid up.

Nah...sounds anecdotal...who’s database...what several,people....who’s they ? Was your cousin a drugs dealer perhaps ?

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[Brains]

Nah...wasted your money...it wouldn’t have gone to court...there is no court...you weren’t there to stand in the dock...it would have been ignored.

Just my personal experience on this issue in Germany.

My UK based international company was excessively charged by a German company for work carried out.
The bill was disputed, my company refused to pay.
The German company took my UK company to the equivalent of the small claims court
We did not attend and ignored all court orders, and refused to appoint a lawyer.
The judge took a very dim view of this.
He not only awarded the German company 100% of their excessive charge, he then doubled it, added in all the court costs, and then a fine on top of that.
He then had HMG put a block on all our accounts in the UK so we were unable to trade or even pay salaries he then had our bankers (Barclays) bought in to ensure that all the money was paid.
The original amount was about £4,000, the final payout was about £25K

 

[Raul]

I think hymerbell is having fun.

 

[Brains]

Haha....they didn’t GIVE us a substantial fund....they gave back a tiny percentage of what we gave THEM

Oh dear, how short sighted.

 

[Brains]

I think hymerbell is having fun.

He has previous on this issue.
Many of that generation still think the rest of Europe is a different country.

When do you think England will rejoin the EU ?

 

[haganap]

if you are over 3.5t you need a go box. When i got mine they asked where I was going and told me how much this would cost. They told me to watch for the beeps and what they meant. They gave me instructions that also re-enforced the message. I'm real thick but understood it.
Also you do not have to return your go box as stated above. You pay for it and you keep it, mines still on the windscreen, it looks cool.

On fines abroad. I had 3 sent to me for speeding on my Vespa across the bridge in to Venice all over a 2 day period. Still waiting my court date some 2.5 years later. My mate that used the Brenner toll and jumped the gate is still waiting his court appearance from the same trip, he missed the turn.

However, what I would say is that if you get a ticket abroad, and you intend on going back there with the same number plate having not paid the fine, expect to be pulled, now this has happened to someone I know.

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[haganap]

When do you think England will rejoin the EU ?

It won't thank god, and I am not in that generation. Not sure how this thread managed to turn in to yet another Brexit thread. Will you never accept it's over and move on?

 

[Brains]

if you are over 3.5t you need a go box. .

Agreed.
But how do they know the weight of my van unless they take a close look at the plate ?
Could I simply buy a 3,500 kg vignette ?

 

[Sapper520]

In this country you can be tried in your absence. if found guilty (as most are, when they fail to turn up) a warrant is issued. It doesn't go away. I'm sure they have similar systems in other country's.

A few years ago my son received a speeding ticket from Australia. His details had been passed onto the Police by the hire car company. The letter enclosed stated that if the fine wasn't paid my son, should he ever return, would be detained and put before the courts. He paid up.

 

[haganap]

Agreed.
But how do they know the weight of my van unless they take a close look at the plate ?
Could I simply buy a 3,500 kg vignette ?

They don't and yes you could However they are not daft.

ANPR type stuff works so they can fine you for incorrect toll.
Mobile patrols offer you an instant £240 fine if they catch you.
If like me and you have 6 wheels the mistake would be obvious.

Service and Controls

Regular controls throughout Austria ensure that the car and lorry toll for motorways and expressways has been paid. That's what the staff at Service and Controls (Service- und Kontrolldienst, SKD) are responsible for.

www.asfinag.at

 

[Figaro]

But how do they know the weight of my van unless they take a close look at the plate ?
Could I simply buy a 3,500 kg vignette ?

Don`t you have to have to show your v5 for the vignette ?

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