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Italian traffic violation

I recently received a bill (email) for the admin costs to supply driver details to the police from a hire car company in Italy 48euros. The date of the apparent offence was July 2019! I was asked to pay in 15 days or they will use means to recover costs. I immediately emailed back and requested further information as I know nothing about any offence and was shocked that it was so long ago. They have not responded and the 15 days have passed. 
I know that typically this charge is taken from the credit card used to book the car weeks or maybe months after the offence. Also, I believe that once the authorities have identified the driver they have 12 months in which to contact them. I am not sure where I stand when it has taken 20 months for the hire car company to ask for this fee? Anyone know the legalities here by any chance?
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Comments

  • Umkomaas
    Umkomaas Posts: 44,199 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    We only deal with UK private parking tickets. As the 15 day deadline has passed, see what happens next. Not much else you can do until you have further information. You should also check out some 'Brexit' type of forums as maybe being able to chase in the UK might have disappeared with our exit from Europe. 
    Please note, we are not a legal advice forum. I personally don't get involved in critiquing court case Defences/Witness Statements, so unable to help on that front. Please don't ask. .

    I provide only my personal opinion, it is not a legal opinion, it is simply a personal one. I am not a lawyer.

    Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

    #Private Parking Firms - Killing the High Street
  • nicestrawb
    nicestrawb Posts: 323 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 22 April 2021 at 2:10PM
    What "means" lol? If they can't provide details and take it off your credit card then claim it back from them as fraud on your credit card since they've provided no evidence. This is clear desperation from an industry that's in turmoil.
     {Signature removed by Forum Team - if you are not sure why we have removed your signature, it's probably Gladstones}
  • What "means" lol? If they can't provide details and take it off your credit card then claim it back from them as fraud on your credit card since they've provided no evidence. This is clear desperation from an industry that's in turmoil.
    It won’t be fraud as there will be a clause in the rental agreement that the OP signed giving permission for this charge to be made.
  • nicestrawb
    nicestrawb Posts: 323 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 22 April 2021 at 3:13PM
    I understand that but companies can't do this without any evidence to support it. I'd still be contacting my credit card company to refund it as fraud if the car hire people are just making a spurious claim, especially as they've already had 2 years to do it, which suggests something fishy. The credit card company are perfectly entitled to investigate it fully should they wish...
     {Signature removed by Forum Team - if you are not sure why we have removed your signature, it's probably Gladstones}
  • D_P_Dance
    D_P_Dance Posts: 11,593 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You never know how far you can go until you go too far.
  • Half_way
    Half_way Posts: 7,639 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    First off, while the place usually deals with private tickets, there have been many cases of people getting so called fines in Italy, and then hire company's etc trying to re-claim them .

    As far as i know the general consensus is to ignore/do nothing, do not contact the hire company or anyone else but keep the forum up to date with what ever you receive, so should anything out of the ordinary arrive it can be dealt with
     again, you should not contact the hire company or any one else/

    Expect to hear from a so called debt collection company ( note this will not be a real debt) inviting you to pay - something like Euro collection services, if you do don't worry.

    From the Plain Language Commission:

    "The BPA has surely become one of the most socially dangerous organisations in the UK"
  • I understand that but companies can't do this without any evidence to support it. I'd still be contacting my credit card company to refund it as fraud if the car hire people are just making a spurious claim, especially as they've already had 2 years to do it, which suggests something fishy. The credit card company are perfectly entitled to investigate it fully should they wish...
    Why do you think that they don’t have evidence?
  • nicestrawb
    nicestrawb Posts: 323 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    They've been asked to produce it and they haven't.
     {Signature removed by Forum Team - if you are not sure why we have removed your signature, it's probably Gladstones}
  • SteveC3
    SteveC3 Posts: 44 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    The money wasn't taken from my credit card. It was so long ago that it may be a closed account anyway. They have asked me to pay it now. They have quoted a reference number for the offence and I don't doubt that it is genuine I'm just amazed that they are only now contacting me. If they have forwarded my details then I guess I may have a fine to look forward to. If this turns up then I'll ask for advice on pepipoo, although the general consensus seems to be to ignore all correspondence.
  • KeithP
    KeithP Posts: 41,296 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Don't contact them at all.

    They will not be daft enough to try anything other than write threatening letters. Anything else would cost them much more than their claim is worth.
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