I owe EZPass $1,500

[rutgersal]

Many times, i've driven through the tollbooth, and for whatever reason, the transponder didn't register. I've received numerous notices in the mail but I stupidly blew them off, when I could have called EZPass, given them my transponder number, and they would have charged my account. But now the account has gone to collections and they can't do that. The total amount due is $1,500. The toll might actually be $2, but then they tack on a ridiculous administrative fee, ranging from 28 dollars and up.

I would like to negotiate with the collection agency, but would like to offer an appropriate starting amount. I was contemplating offering $600, which is about 40 cents on the dollar. If they refuse, I was going to ask for proof of debt, so that I could separate out the tolls due and the administrative charges, and then negotiate from there.

Has anyone had a similar situation, and were you able to negotiate?

 

[RUJohnny99]

They don't have that info. The collection agency bought the debt, not the administrative details. They probably bought it for about 20 cents on the dollar, so, assuming you have decent credit, there's no profit in negotiating with you at 40 cents considering all the other deadbeats they have to carry.

 

[knightfan7]

Geeze Al, for a really smart guy you seem to have a lot of problems operating a motor vehicle. It seems there's a post like this every year. How many notices did you ignore?

Never dealt with EZ Pass. The only experience I have was dealing with an agency for one of my kids. They wanted 66% and refused to budge off that.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I am not sure that your premise is correct. If you had an EZ-Pass transponder registered to the plates on the vehicle you were driving, and can submit proof the EZ Pass account was funded, you should not have to pay an administrative fee, regardless of who is holding the debt. I have successfully handled that with a collection agency. My transponder never hit on the Delaware Memorial Bridge in 2012. I never received a single notice, until a collection agency sent me something 2 years later in 2014. I told them I had EZ Pass and refused to pay, and they told me to submit documentary proof of a funded account on the date of the infraction, which I did.

 

[rutgersal]

I am not sure that your premise is correct. If you had an EZ-Pass transponder registered to the plates on the vehicle you were driving, and can submit proof the EZ Pass account was funded, you should not have to pay an administrative fee, regardless of who is holding the debt. I have successfully handled that with a collection agency. My transponder never hit on the Delaware Memorial Bridge in 2012. I never received a single notice, until a collection agency sent me something 2 years later in 2014. I told them I had EZ Pass and refused to pay, and they told me to submit documentary proof of a funded account on the date of the infraction, which I did.

Thx. This is very helpful and will probably save me much $$$. I just have to retrieve my ezpass statements, and i should be able to prove that my account was funded on the dates of the infractions.

 

[RU85inFla]

I would think that if they notified you and you ignored the notifications then you are on the hook - including admin costs unless they are nice. You can't walk up to a register at a store, have your card declined and then walk out with the merchandise. Your payment mechanism was basically declined and they informed you of it. You decided to ignore the debt. Whether unfunded or technical malfunction matters little.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

Good luck, sir!! Let us know if they stonewall you, which they sometimes do. There is a tendency for the collection people to just be assholes. They will often hang up on you once you start making their job difficult, I even had one girl ask me "Why I don't just pay my bill and stop being a deadbeat." I immediately asked to speak to her manager. She immediately hung up the phone. Next time they called (calling me at my office, of course) I asked for a manager right away. That was how I got the address to send the proof in. Be relentless, and above all be absolutely insistent with them that you do not owe this money, and can prove it.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I would think that if they notified you and you ignored the notifications then you are on the hook - including admin costs unless they are nice. You can't walk up to a register at a store, have your card declined and then walk out with the merchandise. Your payment mechanism was basically declined and they informed you of it. You decided to ignore the debt. Whether unfunded or technical malfunction matters little.

Your analogy is the one where there are no funds in the EZ Pass account. If the issue is with their transponder, as it usually is, then there is no reason you should owe more than the toll. It is your job to make sure you fund the account. It is their job to ensure the hardware itself works.

Personally, I would fight them at all costs. Their administrative fees, which are absolutely ludicrous, are designed to compensate for the shortcomings in the system, and the debt involved. They are in no way related to the cost of you going through a toll without paying. It should be illegal for them to circumvent the judicial process in the way they are doing it by calling the fine an "administrative fee" that can be 5000% of the toll amount.

 

[briccnerff]

Your analogy is the one where there are no funds in the EZ Pass account. If the issue is with their transponder, as it usually is, then there is no reason you should owe more than the toll. It is your job to make sure you fund the account. It is their job to ensure the hardware itself works.

Personally, I would fight them at all costs. Their administrative fees, which are absolutely ludicrous, are designed to compensate for the shortcomings in the system, and the debt involved. They are in no way related to the cost of you going through a toll without paying. It should be illegal for them to circumvent the judicial process in the way they are doing it by calling the fine an "administrative fee" that can be 5000% of the toll amount.

I let

Many times, i've driven through the tollbooth, and for whatever reason, the transponder didn't register. I've received numerous notices in the mail but I stupidly blew them off, when I could have called EZPass, given them my transponder number, and they would have charged my account. But now the account has gone to collections and they can't do that. The total amount due is $1,500. The toll might actually be $2, but then they tack on a ridiculous administrative fee, ranging from 28 dollars and up.

I would like to negotiate with the collection agency, but would like to offer an appropriate starting amount. I was contemplating offering $600, which is about 40 cents on the dollar. If they refuse, I was going to ask for proof of debt, so that I could separate out the tolls due and the administrative charges, and then negotiate from there.

Has anyone had a similar situation, and were you able to negotiate?

i let my account go a few times a few years ago. I would get a bil for the toll plus $25. I would send a check in the amount of the toll only, no administrative fee included. Each time, I never heard back from them.

 

[RU85inFla]

Your analogy is the one where there are no funds in the EZ Pass account. If the issue is with their transponder, as it usually is, then there is no reason you should owe more than the toll. It is your job to make sure you fund the account. It is their job to ensure the hardware itself works.

Personally, I would fight them at all costs. Their administrative fees, which are absolutely ludicrous, are designed to compensate for the shortcomings in the system, and the debt involved. They are in no way related to the cost of you going through a toll without paying. It should be illegal for them to circumvent the judicial process in the way they are doing it by calling the fine an "administrative fee" that can be 5000% of the toll amount.

Cabbage - Debit cards do not get approved all the time for technical issues when there is plenty of money in the account. You can't just walk out of the store and say sorry your fault. In both cases the party making the sale owns the point of sale technology.

The relationship of the admin fee to the toll is irrelevant. It is a reflection as to how much it costs to chase the money. I do agree however that an admin fee should only be charged if the account is unfunded, of unpaid after notice.

 

[Dr. Potato]

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0151-disputing-errors-credit-reports

Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Use our sample dispute letter. Include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should clearly identify each item in your report you dispute, state the facts and explain why you dispute the information, and request that it be removed or corrected. You may want to enclose a copy of your report with the items in question circled. Send your letter by certified mail, “return receipt requested,” so you can document what the credit reporting company received. Keep copies of your dispute letter and enclosures.

 

[Rutgerscc]

...why would you ignore the notices?

Read your mail like a normal person and face things head-on before they snowball and you're down $1500.

Tough luck.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Every single year there is a new thread about him getting a ticket or something...

Maybe it is time to retire from driving.

 

[UCBearcat]

You have to be careful with these. Sometimes they lead to criminal charges for "Theft of Services" which is akin to cutting into a neighbor's cable service to get cable for free. I have had to defend commercial clients who had substantial EZPass violations (in excess of $100,000). They will negotiate to some extent, but they have leverage if they want to collect. It's easier to settle if the claim has not been sold.

 

[imbazza]

Thank YOU! Thank YOU! Thank YOU! this site just saved me $581 dollars!
Rutgeral and all who answered his dilemma provided me with a option I was not aware of that they will take 60% of a debt.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

Unbelievable. I'd be embarrassed to even post this stuff.

 

[RUHotTrumpetMonkeyLove]

There goes the RAC renovation.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

Cabbage - Debit cards do not get approved all the time for technical issues when there is plenty of money in the account. You can't just walk out of the store and say sorry your fault. In both cases the party making the sale owns the point of sale technology.

The relationship of the admin fee to the toll is irrelevant. It is a reflection as to how much it costs to chase the money. I do agree however that an admin fee should only be charged if the account is unfunded, of unpaid after notice.

Well, I guess the difference here is that when EZ Pass sends you a violation notice, if you have a funded account, you are only required to send the amount of the toll, and the admin fee is waived. In this case, the collection agency is, or may be, attempting to collect the admin fee. If there was a valid account, you shouldn't owe that per EZ Pass's own rules.

I agree that if the rules said you were liable for the admin fee regardless of what went wrong, he would be liable. I frankly don't know if the admin fee somehow becomes irrevocable once it goes to a collection agency, but I have never heard that, and I had success in a similar situation. I believe the rules are crafted the way they are because when EZ Pass first started, people were concerned about being fined for equipment issues. If the equipment fails, you are generally not liable. All you need is a valid EZ Pass, and there is no penalty for using an EZ Pass lane.

I also agree that the relationship of the admin fee to the toll is irrelevant for purposes of this discussion -- I mention it solely because it really bothers me. They are using jacked up admin fees to cover for the fact that a "fine" for a violation would carry with it due process rights, that would allow people in Al's situation to go to court and plead their case. By calling it an "admin" fee, there is technically no penalty, and no due process requirement. In my opinion, the administrative fee is obviously punitive, and not meant to compensate the cost of collecting the toll. Therefore, I believe it is unconstitutional.

 

[newell138]

i have a funded account and for a few trips my ezpass didn't register since i had it in the glove box. Since it was registered to my car they matched the plates to the EZpass and just billed my account for the toll.

 

[PSU_Nut]

Your analogy is the one where there are no funds in the EZ Pass account. If the issue is with their transponder, as it usually is, then there is no reason you should owe more than the toll. It is your job to make sure you fund the account. It is their job to ensure the hardware itself works.

Personally, I would fight them at all costs. Their administrative fees, which are absolutely ludicrous, are designed to compensate for the shortcomings in the system, and the debt involved. They are in no way related to the cost of you going through a toll without paying. It should be illegal for them to circumvent the judicial process in the way they are doing it by calling the fine an "administrative fee" that can be 5000% of the toll amount.

Did you agree to those administrative fees as terms of service when you signed up for ez pass?

 

[jason21psu]

i have a funded account and for a few trips my ezpass didn't register since i had it in the glove box. Since it was registered to my car they matched the plates to the EZpass and just billed my account for the toll.

The ONLY time I ever had an issue was when I used my personal EZpass in a work vehicle and I forgot to register the plates of the work vehicle to my account. Went through a toll and noticed I didn't get the green light. Pulled over and called EZPass immediately. They told me I was going to have to pay the toll plus $40 because the plates were not registered. Last time I made that mistake.

 

[NYSportsFan]

Many times, i've driven through the tollbooth, and for whatever reason, the transponder didn't register. I've received numerous notices in the mail but I stupidly blew them off, when I could have called EZPass, given them my transponder number, and they would have charged my account. But now the account has gone to collections and they can't do that. The total amount due is $1,500. The toll might actually be $2, but then they tack on a ridiculous administrative fee, ranging from 28 dollars and up.

I would like to negotiate with the collection agency, but would like to offer an appropriate starting amount. I was contemplating offering $600, which is about 40 cents on the dollar. If they refuse, I was going to ask for proof of debt, so that I could separate out the tolls due and the administrative charges, and then negotiate from there.

Has anyone had a similar situation, and were you able to negotiate?

I have the same issue with EZpass, got it settled thru one of those debt consolidation places, they wiped out half the bill. Its the fees that are ridiculous, the tolls are 2.95, the "processing fees" is $50 bucks. I'll never forget what a state trooper said to me in NJ when he pulled me over asked if i had any tickets, i told him i had some ezpass ones, he goes (with a laugh) "those don't count".

 

[RUich]

The only problem I ever had was with a borrowed transponder that didn't work. Apparently, the batteries were dying on some of these and who knows? Anyway, I received a threatening letter that demanded the missed tolls only and a warning that if it happened again, big payments!
Unlike Al, I didn't ignore the letter and paid the bill.
I totally agree with others that you are also a party to this mess. They may well have been at fault originally, but you had to know that your account was not being drawn down. I think this is somewhat akin to those who just collect parking tickets and are astounded that they come and take your car. Good luck in your quest to somehow avoid the consequences of your actions.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Why didn't they just automatically charge your account once the camera took pix of your plate? I've gone through number of tolls that didn't register the transponder, but on the monthly statement it will show your plate, not your account number, the location, and the amount charged to your account. Something doesn't make sense, BrotherAl.

 

[MGSA99]

I am so glad I do not live in New Jersey anymore.

 

[Knightmoves]

Unbelievable. I'd be embarrassed to even post this stuff.

The OP has proven himself over the years to be a real problem child. Possibly not enough bonding time with his mother after birth ? LOL

 

[Ty Webb]

Your analogy is the one where there are no funds in the EZ Pass account. If the issue is with their transponder, as it usually is, then there is no reason you should owe more than the toll. It is your job to make sure you fund the account. It is their job to ensure the hardware itself works.

Personally, I would fight them at all costs. Their administrative fees, which are absolutely ludicrous, are designed to compensate for the shortcomings in the system, and the debt involved. They are in no way related to the cost of you going through a toll without paying. It should be illegal for them to circumvent the judicial process in the way they are doing it by calling the fine an "administrative fee" that can be 5000% of the toll amount.

True............. to an extent. Appears they were notifying Al of an issue and he blew them off.

That shifts responsibility to Al.

 

[anvilofstars]

Al, are you always talking about "if everyone donated 10 grand we would have so much money"? Just cut 1500 out of that 10 grand this year and you will be okay.

 

[RUaMoose]

Many times, i've driven through the tollbooth, and for whatever reason, the transponder didn't register. I've received numerous notices in the mail but I stupidly blew them off, when I could have called EZPass, given them my transponder number, and they would have charged my account. But now the account has gone to collections and they can't do that. The total amount due is $1,500. The toll might actually be $2, but then they tack on a ridiculous administrative fee, ranging from 28 dollars and up.

I would like to negotiate with the collection agency, but would like to offer an appropriate starting amount. I was contemplating offering $600, which is about 40 cents on the dollar. If they refuse, I was going to ask for proof of debt, so that I could separate out the tolls due and the administrative charges, and then negotiate from there.

Has anyone had a similar situation, and were you able to negotiate?

Yes but i wasn't dumb enough to blow it off. I had old transponders that weren't working properly. They would work sometimes but not others. So I got a bunch of those violation notices in the mail. I called the 973 number and long story short they waived the "Admin" fees. I sent in a check for the actual toll amount that wasn't collected due to the faulty transponder. I highly recommend that those of you that have old transponders (like over 7-8 years old) proactively request new ones. You will need to mail back the old ones once the new ones arrive.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

So we now know what Al was not doing when he was spending all of his time in the recording studio...

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

True............. to an extent. Appears they were notifying Al of an issue and he blew them off.

That shifts responsibility to Al.

What's your basis for that opinion? I don't believe there is any mechanism that shifts responsibility.

 

[wheezer]

I have always had my ez pass billed directly to a standard credit card, then you pay your credit card bill....no low balance warnings, no nothing......as far as the ez pass device malfunctioning, that I have had no experience with.....

But I always thought that if you drove through and it did not register they would see that the license plate matches a ez pass account and the toll is added to your bill, again no problem

 

[rutgersal]

I have always had my ez pass billed directly to a standard credit card, then you pay your credit card bill....no low balance warnings, no nothing......as far as the ez pass device malfunctioning, that I have had no experience with.....

But I always thought that if you drove through and it did not register they would see that the license plate matches a ez pass account and the toll is added to your bill, again no problem

i have my ezpass setup, just as you described.

I bought a new car in '12, but didn't know to register the new license plate number with EZPass. I shall do that now.

Thx for all the advice, everyone. Hopefully others will also benefit.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

I've had 4 transponders and no cars registered other than generic car/suv <7000lbs. . Direct bill..NEVER an issue. No matter what car I used or if I even took it with me in somebody else's car... I guess I've been lucky?

 

[Ty Webb]

What's your basis for that opinion? I don't believe there is any mechanism that shifts responsibility.

EZ Pass notices there is a problem with his account. They contact him repeatedly as he stated to rectify the problem. Al refuses to acknowledge the notifications. They've done all that they can short of showing up at his house to fix this issue. Al ignored them.

The responsibility to rectify the issue is now in Al's court. EZ Pass did what they could. They reach out to him to fix a problem. He refused to acknowledge/work to fix the problem.

How is Al not responsible at this point?

 

[Bones131]

Cabbage - Debit cards do not get approved all the time for technical issues when there is plenty of money in the account. You can't just walk out of the store and say sorry your fault. In both cases the party making the sale owns the point of sale technology.

The relationship of the admin fee to the toll is irrelevant. It is a reflection as to how much it costs to chase the money. I do agree however that an admin fee should only be charged if the account is unfunded, of unpaid after notice.

85, your analogy isn't comparable. In your example, there is a third party involved who may or may not be responsible for the debit card being declined. In Al's case, there is no third party to be harmed. You can blame him from blowing off the notices, but when EZ Pass equipment doesn't work it is their problem.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

EZ Pass notices there is a problem with his account. They contact him repeatedly as he stated to rectify the problem. Al refuses to acknowledge the notifications. They've done all that they can short of showing up at his house to fix this issue. Al ignored them.

The responsibility to rectify the issue is now in Al's court. EZ Pass did what they could. They reach out to him to fix a problem. He refused to acknowledge/work to fix the problem.

How is Al not responsible at this point?

But why is it now in Al's court? Because they sent a notice? Because you said so? It only shifts to Al if there is some legal reason. You seem to imply he has some obligation to work with EZ Pass to resolve the problem. That may or may not be true. Now, if EZ Pass had a legally enforceable rule that said after 90 days or something, you no longer have the opportunity to challenge the imposition of administrative fees, than clearly you would be right. Al's rights would have lapsed, and he probably wouldn't be able to challenge them.

But I don't think that is the case. I think he can challenge the bill at any time (with EZ Pass, with a collection agency, or in a court of law). That's why I asked if you had any support for your position.

In case the legal argument isn't clear, take it to an absurd example: I mistakenly send you a bill for services I performed for your neighbor. You ignore it. I send you a second and third notice, and in the third notice I write that "If you fail to respond within 30 days, you agree that you owe the full amount, and waive any right to challenge the obligation in court." You then chuck those notices in the trash as well, and never call me to tell me of my mistake. If I give the bill to an attorney to collect, do you have to pay? Of course not. You never legally owed me anything. If I file for a judgment in court, did you lose your right to challenge the liability? Of course not. Just because I say you agreed to the balance by not responding, doesn't mean your legal rights changed. I can say whatever I want, it doesn't change your legal rights. You had no obligation to pay me, and no obligation to correct my error.

 

[wheezer]

i have my ezpass setup, just as you described.

I bought a new car in '12, but didn't know to register the new license plate number with EZPass. I shall do that now.

Thx for all the advice, everyone. Hopefully others will also benefit.

in case you still don't know the procedure, this is the website for NJ ezpass:

https://www.ezpassnj.com/en/home/index.shtml

establish an account, you will be assigned an account number.....in the future you go to your account and you can delete a car, add a new one instantly.......click "my account"
on the left hand side, then go to vehicles and tags....this is where you change vehicles...

 

[ruwatters]

I suggest working with EZ-Pass and paying off the tolls only. EZ-Pass doesn't collect social security numbers and without them the collection agency cannot file a past due account on your credit report. That effectively reduces much of their leverage for those of us that care about our credit history. I had an issue with NJ Water recently and they also did not have my SSN but they sent my file to a collection agency. I refused to pay the incorrect bill and ultimately NJ Water agreed with me and i paid them directly the far lessor amount; the collection agency was just an annoyance in the process. i recently had my credit pulled for a mortgage and my understanding was proven correct and my credit was not impacted by the aggravating episode.

 

[RU4Real]

Why didn't they just automatically charge your account once the camera took pix of your plate? I've gone through number of tolls that didn't register the transponder, but on the monthly statement it will show your plate, not your account number, the location, and the amount charged to your account. Something doesn't make sense, BrotherAl.

The toll lane in question has to be certified for Electronic Tolling, which has specific requirements as to the camera system and how the toll lane is linked to the back-office. The majority of toll lanes in the NY area are not that.