Forgot to pay dart charge...

MrChips

I travelled through the Dartford crossing both ways on Sunday (22 July). The return trip was relatively late so by the time we got home my family and I went straight to bed and I forgot all about the charge the following day.

It suddenly hit me yesterday that I had forgotten to pay so I called them up to come clean. Rather than paying there and then, they recommended waiting for penalty notices to come through the post before getting back in touch.

I understand that first time offenders will be let off - however I think I am a second time offender as I also forgot to pay the last time I used it a couple of years ago.

Having looked online, there are plenty of comments saying that dart charge are very fair with motorists. Just wondering if anyone else has been in a similar position and whether they were let off the penalty second time round? In my favour I got in touch with them to pay voluntarily before the penalty notices were received but still two and a half days late...

The new arrangement without the toll booths seems almost guaranteed to lead to a certain proportion of motorists forgetting to pay, especially if your final destination is a long way from the bridge/tunnel such that you are likely to forget about it by the time you end your journey several hours later.

waamo

Contact them on Twitter. It only takes a minute to join and other posters have reported a good response.

kaggi

I did not know about the charge as I am a tourist until a few weeks later when I received a charge. I disputed it and enclosed a cheque for the toll and they seemed to accept that.

System

The return trip was relatively late

AFAIR if it was after 10, there is no charge anyway. So you may not actually have to pay the toll or a penalty charge.

waamo

IamEmanresu wrote: »

AFAIR if it was after 10, there is no charge anyway. So you may not actually have to pay the toll or a penalty charge.

It operates from 6am to 10pm. Outside this hours it's free. There are warning signs as you drive up telling you how to pay too.

I guess like speed signs and parking signs people just don't read them.

Grayju

Hi, thanks for the advice to contact Dartford charge on twitter. I explained I had forgotten to pay for two crossing at the weekend and the operator on twitter advised me how to pay the £2.50 charge and then cancelled the penalty charge notices for both crossings.
Thanks for the advice. I created twitter account quickly and then got quick response and penalty notices cancelled.
Thanks again, julie

Grayju

I contacted dart charge on twitter and they cancelled penalty charge notices for two crossings I made at weekend. Just had to pay crossings charges.
Explained I had forgotten and phoned up when I remembered as was not trying to avoid paying.
Great advice to contact on twitter.