So my GF offered that we use her car to drive down to NYC because she couldn’t drive stick (my car) and this would be a two-driver trip. I grabbed my E-ZPass and held it up to the windshield before each toll like I had done before. Only this time she got a letter a few weeks later saying that she had violated an E-ZPass lane and should remit the toll amount plus a $25 ‘administration fee’. They suggested that I call E-ZPass if there was an error or a ‘resonable explanation’ for the infraction.
I was holding my E-ZPass to the windshield in a non EZPass-registered car through tolls which I believe is in violation of the service agreement, and so therin lies my reluctance to report it as a ‘resonable explanation’. Should I just take the $33 fine and consider it a lesson learned, or should I contest it asserting that I had used my-own E-ZPass and vouch for for the expenses even though I was doing something that I shouldn’t have?
Hey, in the grand scheme of things $33 isn’t too bad, i’ve lost more in bounced checks, but I would appreciate the advice of anyone who has been in a similar circumstance…
According to the E-ZPass Terms and Conditions, “you may use the tag on the vehicle(s) listed specifically on your application”.
While I favor a broad reading myself (i.e, anything not prohibited is allowed), I suspect that the State of New York favors the strict reading (i.e., anything not permitted is proscribed). In short, it’s not your E-ZPass, it’s your car’s. Sorry.
First, check your EZ-Pass statement to see if the toll was taken off of your account. They do a very nice itemization for you, even down to which tollbooth you went through. At a minimum, you shouldn’t have to pay for the toll twice.
My guess is that they do this sort of thing to try and prevent EZ-pass theft. They don’t know that you were in the car, or that you gave permission to use your EZ-Pass.
I don’t understand how the reader-machine knows which car the pass is in. I thought all it did is to read the pass and enter the data in the database. Can someone explain this to me?
I have heard:
1 it is not allowed to hold it against the windshield
2 it is not allowed to use in on a non-e-z pass ca
3 Hi Opal
4 the only time that you would get caught is if there is a problem with the reading of the tag.
you might be able to apply for a business ez-pass tag which allows multiple unregistered cars.
I believe (no cite or nuttin’) that they actually take photos of your tag as you go through, and compare that with the (non-)transmission of the EZ-pass device. Matching those up tells them what they want to know, what EZpass and what car.
It sounds like the tag wasn’t read at the toolbooth and they snapped a picture of the license plate. I’ve used my ez pass with other cars and have had no problems.
About not being able to read the EZ-Pass:
Maybe your GF’s car’s windshield has a thin metalic coating on it. It is used to speed up defrosting the windshield, but it prevents radio signals from going through it.
Also, I’ve used my EZ-Pass in other cars in the past without problems.
Ditto Mack. I’m guessing the tag wasn’t read properly, and they think you ducked through with NO tag and didn’t pay.
I continually trade cars with my parents, and use the same EZPass tag on both. One has the plastic velcro mount thingies for the windshield, the other one I press up against the bottom of the rear-view mirror mount as I drive through.
Do you remember what message (if any) you got as you drove through the tolls? Most booths give a green light or a “GO EZPASS” msg. Though PA sucks–half the toll booths don’t give you any indication fi your tag was successfully scanned or not.
I’ve been using our communal EZPass for months now on a car that we didn’t have when we bought the thing, and I’ve never had a problem with it. I’m always very careful to drive through as slowly as possible and get the green light before proceeding, though. I think the thing probably just didn’t read right.
The key question is who the notice went to – you or her? If her, then they probably caught her by taking a picture of her license plate when the tag didn’t read. If you, well… dunno.
My understanding is that, if the tag isn’t read, then they look at the photo to get the car’s license number. If that license number has a valid EZ-Pass tag associated with it, then they just charge you the normal fee and you’re good. If it doesn’t have a tag, you get charged the misuse of EZ-Pass lane fee and get sent a letter.
And in my experience, it does work like this. I have to hand-hold my pass, since I had my car’s windshield replaced and lost the velcro to stick the pass on. Usually it works fine, but occasionally it fails, and I still get the charge on my bill. I wouldn’t recommend this though. If it’s a highway that reads at both on and off ramps and calculates a fare (like the NJ Turnpike), they might just charge you a random amount by assuming you got on at the first entrance or some crap like that.
The ones in California say “VALID, ETC.” which always makes me chuckle. I imagine there’s supposed to be a bunch of boilerplate after “valid” and someone had the sense to not waste our time with it. They also emit a loud “BEEP” confirmation in case you’re actually watching where you’re going.
You can just go to Staples or wherever and get some velcro strips. It doesn’t work as well as the industrial strength stuff you get with the tag but it does the trick.