Complaint Review: American Traffic Solutions - Plate Pass - Phoenix Arizona

American Traffic Solutions and Hertz Sued by San Francisco for Ripping Off Consumers with Plate Pass. It's really the Tip of the Iceberg ATS has been doing this to consumers all over the United States, not just in San Francisco. Hertz contracted with ATS to allow them to do it. See: http://www.ktvu.com/business/239246925-story and http://www.nasdaq.com/article/san-francisco-sues-hertz-over-bridge-tolls-20170303-00099 Perhaps this is a good time to write to your Attorney General or City Attorney since San Francisco has done all the work to put together the evidence against ATS and Hertz.

I visited Florida on vacation and found myself driving on toll roads that looked like highways where I'd passed no toll booth upon entering that highway. (but once on the highway saw signs that said something about toll by mail was then fairly certain  I had inadvertently wound up on a toll road :o )

I am a Hertz Gold customer and had no idea my rented vehicle was equipped with a Plate Pass Tag where I'd incur excessive daily administrative fees for the duration of my vehicle rental period if I used the tag once.  When I returned the vehicle I visited the counter and told them I'd driven the vehicle on a toll road without meaning to and tried to pay the tolls then, they told me not to worry about it they'd mail me a bill.

I rec'd the bill, they were unable to charge my credit card because I LOST it while I was on vacation in Florida and Amex had mailed me a new one upon my return home from vacation.  So I called them, explained what happened and told them I was more than happy to pay the tolls I incurred, and that' I'd further be willing to pay an administrative fee for the day I incurred the tolls, but not a daily fee as they'd charged me for every day I rented the vehicle.  I did find upon asking them to reduce the amount they were very pleasant about the situation and were more than willing to reduce the balance and accept payment in the amount I was willing to make. 

We settled the matter quickly and pleasantly in that manner.  After reading what has happened to everyone else here and narrowly avoiding it myself, going forward I will  read the fine print on my rental contract when I don't visit  the counter to get my keys & stay far away from the toll roads in FL with a  vehicle I rented from Hertz or Avis or just not rent from them.  

When I rent from Hertz I have also received these charges although they do not go directly to my credit card.  Normally I receive a statement for them a few weeks after the rental.  Although I have noticed the 'fine print' in the contract I also do not have the option not to use this.  That said, my biggest complaint is that PlatePass charges an Administrative Fee for every day of your rental if you use a toll road even once.  For example, I rent a car for a week and on the first day use a toll road.  I then use different roads and never pass through another toll plaza.  I get charged $2.95 per day for every day that I have the rental (7 days) instead of the one day I actually was charged a toll.  What administration is there to be done if they are not processing a charge?  I don't understand how they can charge you on days they don't have to do anything and no toll charge was processed. In the example given I would be charged $20.65 additional for only using a toll road on one day.  I already think the administrative fee is high, but to pay that on days I don't incur a toll charge?  Ridiculous!

The manner in which Hertz and Plate Pass deal with EZ Pass tolls is very troubling.  It is one thing to offer the convenience of an EZ Pass, particularity given often very long lines at cash lanes.  However, it is unconscionable to hide the fact that there are charges and fees above the tolls charge, and it is hard to escape the apparent conclusion that Hertz and Plate Pass set up the whole process so that consumers do not notice the charges until long after the rental is turned in (if at all).  Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz, P.C. is actively investigating a potential class action against Hertz, Plate Pass and other rental cars companies that charge hidden fees for electronic toll transponders.  If you would like to discuss your legal options, please do not hesitate to contact me:
 
Greg Blankinship, Esq.
Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz, P.C.
1311 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
914-517-5000
[email protected]
 
To ensure compliance with applicable rules of professional conduct, please note that this post might be construed as Attorney Advertising.  Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.
 

This is not ILLEGAL. It's in the fine print of the CONTRACT that you signed with Hertz. If you don't want to pay the toll, don't take the EZ-Pass lanes! 

I also rented a car, from Hertz, out of Albany, New York on August 25th 2010. Having lived in Wisconsin for the last 30 yrs, even though I'm from NY state, I was not familiar with the EZ pass on my rental cars windshield. 

I want to be clear, I agree that Hertz should tell their customers about it, but they didnt with me and my husband either.
Anyway, it says right on the devise on the "accept ez pass" or if you close it, you dont accept it...how simple is that.  We opened it, cause it was a great convienience.

THEN, the toll booths have lanes SPECIFICALLY for ez pass, it says it in BIG letters, you cant miss them.. there is no way to pay for the tolls, that I saw, in the ez pass lanes. We thought we would be charged for the tolls when we returned the car, but we werent and thought it was a Hertz perk, yeah right.. LOL, not gonna happen. A couple of days ago, over a week since we've been back, I was looking at our bank statement, and sure enough, the ez pass was taken out. Its not right the way they dont inform you, but you cant say you didnt use the service, its all there in black and white.. had to comment, thanks.