Dart Charge mess up

rach_k

This turned out longer than I expected, sorry, so I have summed up my two questions first:

1) If you make representations to dispute a penalty charge for the Dartford Crossing, does the time you have remaining to pay the charge stop ticking down until they make their decision?

2) Is it likely that the penalty charge will be reduced to what I would have paid (£2.50, or possibly £35) if I hadn't been led to believe it was all sorted, or am I wasting my time? Basically, how reasonable are they, or not?

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The long bit:

Mid-October, we used the Dartford Crossing and forgot to pay. About a week later, I remembered so my husband went online and paid as if we'd just gone through, on the off-chance that they would work it out (ha!).

At the end of October, we received a penalty charge notice, but as it was the first penalty it said we could simply pay the charge (£2.50) and the penalty (£70, or £35 if paid within 14 days) would be waived.

Daftly, I decided to ring and check whether the charge we'd already paid (late) could be matched to the penalty charge so we wouldn't have to pay again. If they'd just said no, I would just have paid the £2.50 again, I even had my card out to do so. The guy I spoke to took the car details, checked that we had paid it and said it would be cancelled. He said he'd put a note on the system that we'd paid. Sorted, and I saved myself £2.50 - yay!

Today, we received another penalty charge notice saying that as we didn't pay the first one within 28 days, the penalty has now been increased to £105. Not so yay!

I rang and was told that the first guy wouldn't have been able to cancel the penalty; all he could have done and did do was put in a request for it to be waived. Apparently, they only send you a letter if the cancellation is approved, meaning that if it's not you still have to pay (but you don't know about it).

I was told today that I either pay the £105 or make representations. They record calls so I can ask that they listen to the first call to see if it was explained properly to me. I feel confident that I was told it was sorted, but there's now a lingering doubt as the guy I spoke to today was adamant that I would not have been told that. I'm not an idiot and I don't like risks, so if he'd told me there was any doubt about it being cancelled I'd just have paid the £2.50 to be sure, but who knows?

Today's letter says I have 14 days to pay or they may get a court order etc. The guy I spoke to today told me that as soon as I make representations, that time stops counting down, but I don't really trust what they say any more! Is this correct? If not, should I just suck it up and pay the £105? I really don't want to as all I should have paid is £2.50! Also, is it likely that they will waive or reduce the penalty? I don't exactly have faith in their judgement - after all, the request to waive the charge as we'd paid it late was rejected... and that was just for £2.50.

Thanks.

StaffsSW

1 - if you make representation within the time frame, then yes, it does pause the process and any escalation.

2. If it is the first time the car has gone over the crossing, then there may have been an opportunity to pay the original £2.50 without any penalty. I'm not sure if they are still issuing these though, as it is just over 2 years since the charging system changed. I did see some for my fleet in the summer though. Worth a call to check if this "offer" is still in place though.

Also - the escalation process is painfully slow. 8-12 months between PCN and Charge certificate is not unusual, and we are still waiting on the Order for Recovery on some dating back to early 2015.

rach_k

Thank you. The first letter we received definitely said we could just pay the £2.50 crossing charge but that it wouldn't be offered the next time (not that we'll be using the crossing again after this faff!). I'm just concerned that as they didn't accept the fact that we'd already paid it (late, but still paid) in the first instance, I may be wasting my time trying to get them to accept it now. If the guy hadn't said on the phone that it was all sorted, I would just have paid it then so I'm hoping they will understand that and let me pay it again if they really do feel the need to wring a few pennies out of us!

Browntoa

bit of a side issue now but register for free


https://www.dartsave.co.uk/


and then they email you to ask you to pay so no forgetting

atilla

Browntoa wrote: »

bit of a side issue now but register for free


https://www.dartsave.co.uk/


and then they email you to ask you to pay so no forgetting

or just stick a fiver on your account so no getting caught in the future

rach_k

I think we'll just avoid it in future - we don't have to go that way at all.

I've completed the online form to make representations. Fingers crossed for a couple of months!