US car rental Toll charge scam?

unsure

Hi folks,
We were recently in the US and hired a car from Dollar. Three weeks after we've returned home I've just received a letter saying we'll be charged $159.98 on my credit card for use of their EZpass toll unit - which we did not use - didn't even know how to turn it on as we had no intnetion of using. We paid all tolls in cash in full service lanes (queueing for the privilege when necessary). They cite tolls crossed in new Jersey and Manhattan - places we were nowhere near at any point of our two week stay in Virginia, Maryland and Pensylvania. We don't have receipts at this point (most booths didn't even issue them). The letter and email seem to be from some sort of clearing house.
This looks like a scam but they have other details including credit card number (last 4 digits), car plate and rental agremeent, correct.
I've tried to challenge the charges via the website link but have not had an acknowledgement.
Has anyone come across anything similar (I did a forum search before posting) or have any advice. At the moment all I can see to do is to put it into dispute with credit card issuer and wait for outcome.

steve1500

Quite common in Florida.

Offered at the desk with all the add ons.

Always refused

All I can suggest that you speak to Dollar & say you weren't made aware of it and had no use as knew you wouldn't be going near any Toll roads

Westin

Did they provide you with a list of tolls collected?

Just wondering if they might be linked (incorrectly) to a previous renter of the same vehicle. The tolls collected might fall outside your rental period and therefore fairly ease to show that they should not be attributed to you.

EssexExile

steve1500 wrote: »

Quite common in Florida.

Offered at the desk with all the add ons.

Always refused

I'm often in Florida & never come across this so checked at https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar
Dollar does seem to be the most expensive & you have to buy at time of rental. I've never noticed it as I use Alamo where it's automatic & a lot cheaper.

unsure

Westin , they did provide list of tolls and dates all in New Jersey or New York City, neither of which we visited,thuogh the dates correpsond with our trip. hard to prove we weren't in those palces! I've used their online dispute system but heard nothing, no acknowledgment and I am concerned they'll just take it from the card....and gulp, now I've checked number it's actually my debit card so not even covered by credit card protection.

Voyager2002

unsure wrote: »

Westin , they did provide list of tolls and dates all in New Jersey or New York City, neither of which we visited,thuogh the dates correpsond with our trip. hard to prove we weren't in those palces! I've used their online dispute system but heard nothing, no acknowledgment and I am concerned they'll just take it from the card....and gulp, now I've checked number it's actually my debit card so not even covered by credit card protection.

You do have some protection even with a debit card...

Were you staying in hotels? The areas you actually visited are a fair distance from where the tolls were incurred, so you can provide evidence that the toll record is unlikely to be accurate. That should be enough to get the charge reversed.

Backbiter

There must be a CCTV image of your vehicle in the locations you visited on the days you supposedly incurred the toll charges in NY and NJ, surely?

unsure

Backbiter,
I'd certinaly hope so but wouldn't bet on it. This is one of those situations where it's hard to prove you Weren't Somewhere. We were staying at friends (Virginia and Pittsburgh PA) so don't even have hotel bookings for the dates covered.
The whole thing feels like a scam but I find it hard to imagine that a major rental company could be involved in such a thing. We'll obviously never use them again and tell people about our experience. Apart froma quick buck, what's in it for them. Just seems crazy.

liviboy

The problem now in the states is many tolls have gone cashless and are collected by photograph. Where my mum lives, a busy bridge in New York (The Tappan Zee Bridge) has recently gone cashless. This means despite best efforts you will be charged admin fees by rental firms.

Avis in Florida have the electronic toll in the cars with a switch to turn it either on or off.

My biggest bug bear is that they charge you a daily fee for having the electronic tag even if you only use it once...Why not just charge the toll price plus say $10 for a fee to use, rather than $6 a day!!!

EssexExile

Alamo in Florida only charge on days you use the tag, if you can't spare the $3.95 charge go to the booth & pay cash or chose a different route.

jackieblack

EssexExile wrote: »

Alamo in Florida only charge on days you use the tag, if you can't spare the $3.95 charge go to the booth & pay cash or chose a different route.

And get a receipt!
A couple of weeks after the last time we returned from Florida I found a few odd charges on my credit card bill, apparently for tolls.
We had paid cash at every toll and I had kept the receipts.
A quick phone call later, credit card company refunded me and disputed the charges with Alamo