Portugal EASYToll Fine - even though registered (1 Viewer)

[Carpmart]

Sorry to hear of your problem.

Will a Frulli/Mango tag avoid this issue? I ask for the OP, but also as I will be in Portugal in the next few days myself.

 

[Diabalo]

If you had a satnag on you may be able to download all the travel history for proof of where and when if needed.

 

[Gaston aires]

The exact same thing happened to us in Portugal. The fine chasers kept on and on, until in the end I paid the small amount.
Life goes on.
Phil upspmeonelsesbankaccount

 

[zac]

Sorry to hear of your problem.

Will a Frulli/Mango tag avoid this issue? I ask for the OP, but also as I will be in Portugal in the next few days myself.

includes Portugal so should be covered according to their website.

 

[Carpmart]

includes Portugal so should be covered according to their website.

Indeed this is how I read it too; just confused me initially WRT OP’s comments, but now realise they were using a temporary/rented system not the EU/French tags

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[zac]

They never used to come after you so that's new, i guess they were losing money which is ironic as when we first went into Portugal i never even knew about the tolls and was told by a local that they are illegal and nobody should be paying them. Of course i took that with a pinch of salt and next time we went there i purchased the toll tag which takes care of it anyway. Never heard about the first year though and not paying (not on purpose of course).

 

[Thornebt]

I was planning to pay cash at the tolls in France. Is this a bad idea?

 

[Thornebt]

I was planning to pay cash at the tolls in France. Is this a bad idea?

Do they issue a receipt / ticket?

 

[Lenny HB]

Do they issue a receipt / ticket?

No.

 

[MichaelT]

I was planning to pay cash at the tolls in France. Is this a bad idea?

Easier just to pop your card in.

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[Thornebt]

Easier just to pop your card in.

I guess at least you have a record of the payment if paying by card. I'll only use cash if the card doesn't work then.

 

[Vanman]

OP - Would your insurers 'legal dept.' be able to help, if you have that level of cover?

 

[Boldly]

Do they issue a receipt / ticket?

I'm sure there is a button for receipt at least at some of them

 

[Colino]

I am thinking had the op not registered with easy tolls then they would have had no way of identifying them.
And so no idea where to send the fine.

 

[PeterCarole29]

It's winter time, so you have time on your hands, and better still, you are in the right!

You can either ignore this, or you can fight.
If you are fighting, you can have fun.

First rules with dealing with parking companies.
You ONLY EVER deal with written letters. no phone calls, no emails.
Remember they are Evil, there are no rules of decency or deceit.

It costs the companies several pounds to deal with a letter, as they have to be opened, sorted, scanned, sent to the correct department, and they can not be searched on.

It helps if you use blue paper to write your letter on, as you can not scan blue paper letters.

To further 'assist' the company actually hand write the letter (on blue paper), it then becomes impossible to deal with except by a total manual operation, which as these companies outsource work, is impossible.

Always leave replies to the last moment, this ensures lack of continuity as the letters are weeks apart, ensure they are dated correctly though.

The company will try, very hard, to contact you by land line, email, and mobile.
They will even use tricks to confirm it's you.
They will also try contacting family members.
Claim it's a wrong number every time.

All letters are to be in hand written envelopes, addressed to the CEO by name, and marked personal.
This ensures you are wasting the time of the most expensive person in the company, and his secretary, and the person who has to deliver the letter internally, and then deal with it internally.

Be creepy, very creepy. As in stalker creepy.
Refer to the CEO by his first name, ask how the kids are (by name), like the dog etc.

Every letter is to have a standard 'E&OE' on the top
Every letter is to have a standard 'Charges clause' Ideally use their own wording, to say you charge £60 per hour or part thereof to deal with their issues.

If you have several points to make as to why you should not pay, never use more than one issue on a letter at a time.
Use the least important first.

They then have to deal with the first minor issue, before they then have to deal with the next issue as a separate letter, all extra time and money.

Always refer back to previous letters, especially if they do not exist.
It means the person dealing with the issue has to search back to find the (non-existent) letter.
This is all extra time and money

At some point they will refer this to a debt collection agency.
Immediately contact the debt collection agency (Letter, blue paper, same rules) and tell them that you are in dispute with the parking company and are currently taking them to the small claims court.
The debt collection agency will drop a hot potato

The bottom line is even if you end up having to pay the idea is for it to be a Pyric Victory, where the cost is greater that the gain.

If you do end up having to pay, ensure you pay the original company (by cheque, as they cost money to process, and make it 1p more than asked, as this messes up the accounts system).
Payment then causes a problem for the debt collection agency who own the debt

.... and if the company is Parking Eye then go in even heavier handed.

My goodness i was just exhausted just reading what to do, But great advice

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[Thornebt]

And if you do end up paying, make sure the cheque has been folded and is stapled at least twice to the accompanying letter (on blue paper). This means the cheque can not be processed by automatic handling equipment and has to be processed by hand.

I worked for Lloyds Bank Clearing Improvements Section in their Clearing Dept in London years ago. A couple of staples and a folded cheque were not a problem back then. The staples would be removed with staple removers before the cheque was processed.

 

[Mad Manx]

If you have registered for the Easy Toll system, and it has worked at some of their gantries but not all, then surely it’s their fault and they shouldn’t really be bothering you.

Ask them to explain why this has happened - and demand an apology.