Rental Car drivers beware!!!!

[English Tim]

Last month I rented a car from Dollar. I have just received an invoice for toll violations, which I knew nothing about. I always go to the cash booths and pay, but near Houston International there is a free-way, with no booths but auto tolls, so if you don't have a pass, you pay a fine. Dollar have passes in all their cars, but they don't advise you to buy them. Instead they charge $25 for each violation, even if its only 30 cents!

 

I have emailed them to say I feel it's dishonest to penalise foreign visitors in this way. I am disgusted.:mad:

[midnightferret]

Actually, TX toll companies penalize everyone who doesn't have a tag in this way. They aren't just discriminating against people from out of the country.

 

If you can't pay at the booth when you pass through (or it's one of those checkpoints without a pay station), a machine takes a photo of the license plate. Then a statement is sent to the address on record for that plate. However, if you had a toll tag, the toll would have been $0.50, but because they mail it to you, it goes up to $1.50. Then if you don't pay it before a month has passed, the toll companies charge you a $25 "administrative fee" per toll. Dollar is passing that outrageous expense on to the customers.

 

What Dollar and other rental companies in TX should do is advise people about the toll roads, but they don't. My advice to ANYONE travelling in TX with a rental car is to find out if there is a temporary toll tag or some other solution available from the rental company in advance. I would suggest trying to stay off the toll roads, but that could be complicated for someone unfamiliar with the area.

[English Tim]

Actually, TX toll companies penalize everyone who doesn't have a tag in this way. They aren't just discriminating against people from out of the country.

 

Yes, but the difference is that USA citizens are probably aware of the practice, whereas visitors are not.

[rvsullivan]

Yes, but the difference is that USA citizens are probably aware of the practice, whereas visitors are not.

 

I live in Texas (for many years in Houston) and I didn't know about this!! I think the general system just sucks. So I don't think they are "picking on" foreign visitors.:eek:

[Galveston Cruiser]

Same thing in Italy. Just don't go through the Easy Pass Toll. Anywhere!

All of the exits have toll booths for cash as well as the main road. I drive the Beltway - toll booths, but not the Westpark tollway, which is easypass only. I do not have a tag, but pay at each booth.

Have stayed off toll roads in the UK too, unless I was sure they took cash.

[CGBCruiser]

The only toll road close to IAH is the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8). It is a toll road that goes all the way around Houston. I didn't think there were any unmanned automatic stations...at least unmanned without a gate anyway...on the Beltway. I think that even if you take the exit there is a booth there that takes cash or the EZ Tag. If you went through the EZ Tag lane without a tag on the car, it would penalize you for doing so. We do have an EZ Tag and while in Austin it charged our EZ Tag an automatic toll for driving on a road. We didn't even know we were on the toll road! How many of these violations did you rack up while driving your vehicle?

 

Maybe you could contact the Harris County Toll Road Authority and plead for mercy! Probably won't work, but here's their website: www.hctra.org/

[Sargent_Schultz]

Yes, but the difference is that USA citizens are probably aware of the practice, whereas visitors are not.

 

Uh, no we aren't. Each state can be, and often is, different.

 

I learned in Florida, but luckily the rental car had some sort of pass built in, so the toll charge was automatically charged to my credit card, along with a convenience fee of some sort.

 

Ignorance of the law is no excuse, for locals or foreigners.

 

If I drove in Britain, I would not expect special treatment because I failed to familiarize myself with the local laws and customs. We are all accountable for our actions or lack thereof.

[English Tim]

Uh, no we aren't. Each state can be, and often is, different.

 

I learned in Florida, but luckily the rental car had some sort of pass built in, so the toll charge was automatically charged to my credit card, along with a convenience fee of some sort.

 

Ignorance of the law is no excuse, for locals or foreigners.

 

If I drove in Britain, I would not expect special treatment because I failed to familiarize myself with the local laws and customs. We are all accountable for our actions or lack thereof.

 

Note to self.

 

If this poster comes on Magic TA, ignore them as I don't think we'd get on!:(

[English Tim]

The only toll road close to IAH is the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8). It is a toll road that goes all the way around Houston. I didn't think there were any unmanned automatic stations...at least unmanned without a gate anyway...on the Beltway. I think that even if you take the exit there is a booth there that takes cash or the EZ Tag. If you went through the EZ Tag lane without a tag on the car, it would penalize you for doing so. We do have an EZ Tag and while in Austin it charged our EZ Tag an automatic toll for driving on a road. We didn't even know we were on the toll road! How many of these violations did you rack up while driving your vehicle?

 

Maybe you could contact the Harris County Toll Road Authority and plead for mercy! Probably won't work, but here's their website: www.hctra.org/

 

We missed 4 tolls from 30 cents to $1.50 and didn't see any toll points. They were all on Westpark - Beltway 6 NB exit, etc

 

I called HCTRA and they informed me that they just send a bill for all Dollar's vehicles and then Dollar bills its customers, obviously being fully aware of how many get caught and charging $25 fee for each amount. They must be making a small fortune from their victims.

[Galveston Cruiser]

We missed 4 tolls from 30 cents to $1.50 and didn't see any toll points. They were all on Westpark - Beltway 6 NB exit, etc

 

Westpark is Easy Pass only and there is signage that states "Easy Pass Only".

[English Tim]

Westpark is Easy Pass only and there is signage that states "Easy Pass Only".

 

What happens if you are already on the road? Could we have turned off?

[CGBCruiser]

I started to say that Westpark and the Ft. Bend Tollway were the only ones that didn't have toll booths and you HAVE to have an EZ Tag on them, but I was thinking that you were closer to IAH and wouldn't have any need of using the Westpark toll road. I have never used Westpark so I don't know if there's any way to get off once you're on there. There are big signs that say Westpark Toll road AND EZ Tag ONLY though. With that said, I know it can be confusing driving in Houston or any other big city and especially if you have no idea what an EZ Tag is!

[nlt46]

I find that so wrong to fine you that much. I do think that Dollar should have warned you since they would know that you might travel on a toll road. I will say that Ireland does the same thing; I had just read to prepay the tolls or call that night and pay by credit card.

Sorry.

 

Nancy

[ed_k_tx]

I would check the dates/times of the alleged missed tolls to make sure that they coincide with your travels. Unless you were planning to drive from IAH to Galveston via San Antonio you should not have been anywhere near the Westpark Toll Road. Also, I seem to remember your trip report saying that you avoided the tolls by using IH-45. Did you take another route back?

[Sargent_Schultz]

The M6 Toll in England has not been without controversy in England, including misleading signage. It happens.

[happyapple]

We were driving down from Arkansas for a cruise about a month ago and got caught in a real mess when they had the interstate completely shut down. We were rerouted to the tollway and couldn't get to the only paying exit, which was about a quarter mile after you were forced onto the tollway. We made great time until we hit Houston - talk about a hot mess, that interstate being shut made for crazy traffic!

 

Is there anywhere online to check and see what types of road construction will be going on during the weekends? As an out of towner, it would have been nice to avoid that.

[English Tim]

I would check the dates/times of the alleged missed tolls to make sure that they coincide with your travels. Unless you were planning to drive from IAH to Galveston via San Antonio you should not have been anywhere near the Westpark Toll Road. Also, I seem to remember your trip report saying that you avoided the tolls by using IH-45. Did you take another route back?

 

Our return journey was also on I45. It is an excellent road.

[Sargent_Schultz]

 

Is there anywhere online to check and see what types of road construction will be going on during the weekends? As an out of towner, it would have been nice to avoid that.

 

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/travel/road_conditions.htm

 

My GPS receives traffic updates and can dynamically reroute to take delays into account.

 

Houston traffic can be insane.

[CGBCruiser]

We were driving down from Arkansas for a cruise about a month ago and got caught in a real mess when they had the interstate completely shut down. We were rerouted to the tollway and couldn't get to the only paying exit, which was about a quarter mile after you were forced onto the tollway. We made great time until we hit Houston - talk about a hot mess, that interstate being shut made for crazy traffic!

 

Is there anywhere online to check and see what types of road construction will be going on during the weekends? As an out of towner, it would have been nice to avoid that.

 

TXDOT - Texas Department of Transportation

 

There are also traffic maps/cams on all the major TV stations in Houston... www.khou.com, www.abclocal.go.com/ktrk, and www.click2houston.com

 

All of these stations also report on big road closures such as the one you experienced. Sometimes there are catastrophic events that close an entire freeway and those are just unavoidable in any city. It is rare that the whole Interstate would be shut down. Hope you have better luck in the Houston area next time!

[happyapple]

Thanks for the information on road construction updates - I will certainly be keeping it for future reference. I've never left out of any other ports, but I enjoy leaving from Galveston and it's an easy drive, so I'm sure we'll be doing it again. It's been well worth any confusion we've had along the way. :)

 

Thanks again!

[arpie05]

I;m not sure which car rental agency I was using but this happened to me in August when we drove to Colorado. I called the agency and they claimed they wouldnt charge me. They did so i refuted the charge on my credit card. I didn't have to pay. In Florida i rented from hertz and they only charge like $3 to access the Sun pass then the charges. So it did not add to much.

 

We dont have toll roads in Missouri. There was no choice about accessing the Toll road leaving Denver. It was a only a few mile stret ch

[PennyAgain]

I would absolutely check as it sounds as if you got someone else's bill and likely the renter before or after your rental.

 

Complain to high Heaven with Dollar.

[themnms]

this actually happened to us also in FL, but as soon as I realised we could not pay the toll as it was electronic we called the rental car company ( Alamo) and they put the 5.95 pass on our agreement...much more palatable than 25.00!!

[maxbroadway]

Is there anywhere online to check and see what types of road construction will be going on during the weekends? As an out of towner, it would have been nice to avoid that.

 

For real-time Houston traffic go to http://traffic.houstontranstar.org. There is a checkbox in the upper right corner to show construction.

 

They have cameras and live video along with reports of the average speed on all major freeways in the area.

[Rudyard]

The only toll road close to IAH is the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8). It is a toll road that goes all the way around Houston. I didn't think there were any unmanned automatic stations...at least unmanned without a gate anyway...on the Beltway.

 

The newest and final section of the Beltway, which opened about a month ago, is EZ Tag only. It's the Northeast corner which runs roughly from IAH to I-10 on the East side of town.