HELP! Charged for Florida sun pass tolls in Budget Rental Car

[nautica34]

I'll be renting from Budget in Tampa for one way to Port Canaveral. I'm not sure how many tolls I'll encounter going from Tampa. Is there a way to opt out of using Budget's transponder?

Edited October 3, 2012 by nautica34

[txd]

We are planning to fly to FLL a few days earlier before the cruise starts.

Our plans are to rent a car for two days and drive to North Port. Do you know if there are a lot of toll roads to pass? Is it worth doing?

 

 

Regards, TD

[miamiyogi]

We are planning to fly to FLL a few days earlier before the cruise starts.

Our plans are to rent a car for two days and drive to North Port. Do you know if there are a lot of toll roads to pass? Is it worth doing?

 

WHERE are you going? North Port - Port Everglades? North Port, Florida? Northport, New York? North Port, Michigan?

[txd]

North Port, Florida

[miamiyogi]

There's two tolls on I-75, you can pay cash, easy peasy no worries.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It happened to us as well ...

[jtdlmc]

Wow, glad I read this thread. I have a reservation with Budget that I am definitely going to cancel. Ugghh, it took me so long to finally find a good rate, now to start over again....lol.

[thinfool]

I think there are too many opinions and less-than-accurate posts here. Below please find what Budget actually says.

 

(fyi, if it was me and I didn't want the Budget 'plan', I would stop at a supermarket (Publix) or CVS, Walgreens, etc, and buy my own Sunpass for my visit to Florida.

 

 

http://www.budget.com/budgetWeb/html/en/smartservices/etollfaq.html

 

"Florida

In the state of Florida, you have the option of using Sun-Pass only, ePass only, or Leeway high-speed lanes. When you use these lanes with the transponder open, the toll system identifies the car and charges the standard toll fee as published by the toll authority plus the convenience fee of $2.95 per rental day for the entire length of your rental (maximum $14.75 per month). These fees are charged directly to the credit card on file for your rental. If you do not choose to slide open the e-Toll transponder box, then you must pay any toll fees independently. Florida’s Turnpike does not accept cash payments for tolls on the southernmost 47 miles Homestead Extension in Miami-Dade County (milepost 0-47). By driving on this road you opt-in to use of Budget e-Toll."

 

Note in the last two sentences that you opt-in by default if you travel into Miami-Dade. If you have your own Sunpass ($4.99 at a CVS, Publix, etc), you are good to go. (verify with Budget when you checkin.)

 

Read about the features/requirements of a Sunpass at http://www.sunpass.com and

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

[miamiyogi]

 

Note in the last two sentences that you opt-in by default if you travel into Miami-Dade. If you have your own Sunpass ($4.99 at a CVS, Publix, etc), you are good to go. (verify with Budget when you checkin.)

 

The problem with the Sunpass sticker is that often the gantry doesn't read it. Its not a problem for a resident who has the tag registered on the sunpass site. If you go this route you'll have to get on the website and register the tag for the rental car...sometimes I haven't been able to add rental cars to my account. It also takes 24 hours for the sticker to activate.

 

At the end of the rental, you'll have to remove the sticker and deactivate the account.

 

Thats a lot of hassle for a one or two day rental to save $3-$6.00 Maybe I'd do it if I was staying here for a week.

Edited October 5, 2012 by miamiyogi

[thinfool]

The problem with the Sunpass sticker is that often the gantry doesn't read it. Its not a problem for a resident who has the tag registered on the sunpass site. If you go this route you'll have to get on the website and register the tag for the rental car

This is true, but for regular annual cruisers/renters it would pay to do this.

...sometimes I haven't been able to add rental cars to my account. It also takes 24 hours for the sticker to activate.

While this is the official position, ours took less than two hours.

 

At the end of the rental, you'll have to remove the sticker and deactivate the account.

 

Thats a lot of hassle for a one or two day rental to save $3-$6.00 Maybe I'd do it if I was staying here for a week.

 

This is true...I guess that regular cruisers sailing from Florida ports would do better by buying the portable Sunpass, a lot more expensive, but it would solve other issues.

[andrzej5914]

What's the big deal?

 

Just don't activate it, and pay cash when and if going on any toll roads.

[andrzej5914]

We do have the sticker on our car, but we live in Sarasota and go up to Tampa about 24 times a year, over the Sky Bridge. We paid ~$20 to get the sticker and received ~19.50 in credit. The toll is ~0.25 cheaper for us so it's a good deal for us but for rentals with the hard mounted transporter, just don't activate it. We can add more cash on line as needed.

 

What's the big worry?

 

https://www.sunpass.com/howSunPassWorks

Edited October 5, 2012 by andrzej5914

[miamiyogi]

What's the big worry?

 

On Dollar, Thrifty, Sunshine, if you opt out of the Rental Car Companies toll scheme and access a sunpass only toll you will be charged the actual toll plus $25 per infraction:eek:.

 

Yeah, I'd worry.

[andrzej5914]

On Dollar, Thrifty, Sunshine, if you opt out of the Rental Car Companies toll scheme and access a sunpass only toll you will be charged the actual toll plus $25 per infraction:eek:.

 

Yeah, I'd worry.

 

Use the manual/manned toll booth, do not use the Sunpass ramp....

 

What's so hard to understand?

[miamiyogi]

Use the manual/manned toll booth, do not use the Sunpass ramp....

 

What's so hard to understand?

 

The turnpike in Miami Dade County doesn't take cash; there are no manned toll booths on this stretch. Usually not a problem for the typical cruiser.

Edited October 5, 2012 by miamiyogi

[andrzej5914]

The turnpike in Miami Dade County doesn't take cash; there are no manned toll booths on this stretch. Usually not a problem for the typical cruiser.

 

Except for the following story from the OP:

 

1) I picked up a rental car from Budget at the Orlando airport on Tuesday

 

The car had a sun pass toll device, with an "on and off" switch

Said it was $14.75 in convenience charges plus tolls if you use it.

I said no thanks, flipped it to off

2) Drove from Orlando to Ft. Pierce (Atlantic side)

Paid about $3-4 in tolls, avoid the sun pass lanes, paying in the cash lanes.

 

Get very nervous about tolls that are sun pass only or no attendants, so I went out of my way to have a handful of quarters. No issues!

 

Stayed in Ft. Pierce for 3 days

 

3)On the day of my cruise (Friday) I drove to Miami from Ft. Pierce, via the turnpike.

Probably had about 4 tolls to pay, $1.25, $1.25, $6, etc. Probably added up to about $9-10. All paid in cash, no issues

 

4) After the cruise, drove back to Ft. Pierce via turn pike, no issues

 

5) Next Day, drove from Ft. Pierce to Orlando to fly home. Paid another 3-4 tolls, via cash. No issues

 

 

Checked my credit card today... $30.15 in Budget Tolls!

 

I believe the issue is with Budget and s/he should challenge the charge. Besides, I don't believe there is no manned or coin machines available on the toll way. How would a tourist from Georgia, driving their own car, or a trucker from Texas know that before getting on the toll way and then what happens?

Edited October 5, 2012 by andrzej5914

[DanJ]

I believe the issue is with Budget and s/he should challenge the charge. Besides, I don't believe there is no manned or coin machines available on the toll way. How would a tourist from Georgia, driving their own car, or a trucker from Texas know that before getting on the toll way and then what happens?

 

There are numerous un-manned toll highways around. The toll highway that skirts across Toronto is completely un-manned. If you have a transponder, it registers as you enter and exit the highway. If you don't, it takes a picture as you enter and exit and you get billed. It used to be that only Ontario plates got billed but over the years, they have made mutual agreements with many other jurisdictions so they can share information and bill residents for using electronic tolls in the other jurisdiction. No reason why Miami or other Florida tolls can't be the same way.

 

For me, I'll likely stick with Budget unless I get a better deal elsewhere. I'll probably just use the electronic toll feature in the car to get to Cape Canaveral as I usually end up stuck at a cash line at tolls, and this will be a Friday afternoon drive. A convenience you pay for, but I'm not going to fret over a few dollar service fee. Budget is still a but cheaper on a car for car basis than the other companies. Hertz is way more, and Thrifty charges a one way fee, so even with the Magicard discount, they are still more.

Edited October 6, 2012 by DanJ

[mudscraper]

Are there any unmanned toll booths in the immediate Orlando area? Thanks.

[Cruisin Kay D]

Too bad OP didn't get receipts. Has OP called the SunPass 800# -- I have found them to be quite nice. We bought a mini last Jan at CVS and used it down turnpike and to the Keys & back. Worked great.

We had some brand of rental car in Puerto Rico and had 1 or 2 toll booths going east to Rio Mar Resort and never having been there took the toll device -- found out there were cash lanes when the rental car repr said none!!! Oh well, live & learn!!

[LynneL]

Approx. how much in tolls from Port Canaveral to Orlando International? Anyone recall if there are unmanned toll booths?

 

It may be worth it for me to just pay Enterprise the $2. daily fee plus tolls. However, I'm envisioning driving thru a toll & thinking I'm good, but then getting hit with a $25. violation fee since I don't believe you register for anything at time of rental to get that $2. fee option.

 

I did have a problem once on toll road going into Orlando airport - threw coins in basket, no toll person, but was billed for toll & violation fee. I did get it resolved, I think by the rental company who said it happens often, but who wants the hassle!

[Capt_BJ]

sadly a common scam a tunmanned toll booths with baskets, is to put something in the bottom of the basket like a rag or a cup - to stop the coins from actually making it into the machine. The car's plate is then recorded as a violation and the scammer comes by later to find sufficient coins for a bottle of Mad Dog and a pack of smokes . . .

[goodearth]

One would think private toll companies would be smarter than the person with the rag or cup.........but I guess they get the toll's anyway, no need to figure out that glitch.:(

Edited October 7, 2012 by goodearth

[FLAHAM]

Never saw a Sun Pass with an on-off switch. A special model that Budget built or had built for them? The older (battery powered) models came with an instruction to put them in a special bag (accessory) if going through a toll and paying cash. The bag is still available.

Edited October 7, 2012 by FLAHAM

[toberman]

This is somewhat confusing to me... I don't plan to rent a car in FL, but would drive my own. Planning to drive from Canada to Key West. From what I've read you either have to have a Sun Pass or pay cash at to toll booth. But someone mentioned at some points there are no 'Toll Booths'.... so what then?? Do I have to buy a "Sun Pass" card (transponder), or will they bill me directly??

As DanJ has mentioned, we only have one toll hwy in Ontario and it's either/or.. if you don't have a transponder, they bill you directly with an administration charge attached.

I've driven many times in the NorthEast and always just pay the toll as it comes up in cash. Plus... I've never been offered a receipt - can one easily get one at the tolls in FL????

[MrFunInTheSun]

I haven't read all the reply post here, so excuse me if this has already been mentioned. Generally the lines where an attendant is, it will also read a Sun Pass. It would then explain an issue with the sun pass in your rental car that it actually didn't turn off. With that why an agent world still collect a toll in that case is a mystery as the agent would know the toll was paid after you stopped with the transponder.

 

Sorry this happened to you, I'd just chalk it up and pay the 30 and go about my day.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse typographical errors.

Edited October 7, 2012 by MrFunInTheSun