Robot Tolls - At My Limit!

[AdvancedQs]

Maryland. Has anyone had trouble with Maryland?

I went through 2 tolls in Maryland over a year ago. October1, 2022.

In November 2022 I checked on their website to see if I had tolls to pay. It said they were none to pay. I took screenshot of that. With the date and everything.

Now yesterday I got a new thing in the mail from Maryland. It says I owe a six dollar and an 8 toll plus $70+ in penalties. Civil penalties it’s called.

Between last October and now I have received nothing else. No communication. Only this notice over a year later saying that I owe fees and fines even though I screenshotted their system showing no tolls.

So I called customer service. Trying to get those fines taken off and to pay. The woman was pretty nice. No problems there. She reduced everything down to $24 which is still more than I should be paying, but just to get it over with that’s fine. This is how they rob people. I understand it. it’s a shake down because you’re not from the state. No problem. I’m paying the $24.

So she put me through to the automated system. It doesn’t take my card. It takes me back to her. No problem. So we try my card manually. Decline. It has over $5000 available on it. We try it again. Declined. So I try my debit card. There’s $10,000 in there. Declined. Apparently their system is not working properly or my bank is deciding that they are not on the up and up.

OK so no problem here now. I’m going to spend even more time paying a toll. I go onto their website and I create a brand new account. Putting all of my license plate information. Credit card information. (The online system took my card no problem ) They ask for a lot of information. I had to fill it all out so that I could pay online. Well guess what?

The online system says I HAVE NO TOLL DUE!!!

I am beyond my limit here. This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Nothing works with that system. I can’t even pay. I don’t even know what else to do. But it sure will keep accumulating and they will pass it onto my state won’t they?

Has anyone else had all these problems with Maryland?

Also it should not take $24 and 6 hours of my life to go through two ******* tolls. Especially not when it cost all of those toll operators their jobs.

I have had it with these kind of tolls at this point.

[Michelle_S]

We have three EZ Pass Transponders all from New York State. One for the Car, one for the Truck when solo, and the third for the Truck when towing. didn't pay a penny for them. Now we do have two Sun Passes and they did cost of $20 each, but we've had them for years, and righ now we're on Sanibel Island and the Causeway Toll is $6 and an addition $3 non-transponder fee, so only a few times over the causeway pays for them.

[ferndaleflyer]

Mine was also free. Don’t make it complicated

[cptqueeg]

pbeverly wrote:

I looked into getting a transponder for a recent trip to WV. It was not free and would have cost me more to get it than just paying for the tolls.

It's still free as of this morning. I don't consider a deposit as a cost, although I can't earn interest on the $25 deposit.

[AdvancedQs]

mgirardo wrote:

AdvancedQs wrote:
Maryland. Has anyone had trouble with Maryland?

I am a little late to the party, but try this if you haven't paid yet. Access the toll using the notice/citation they sent you, using the Mailing Number and your zip code on the website. It should bring up the toll and give you the option to create an account from there. Create a new account, don't use the one you already created.

I actually wish more states were like MD with their Pay by Plate option. The tolls cost the same as EZ Pass, but without the transponder and having to pre-pay for tolls.

I did have an issue with Maryland when it decided not to charge a toll the last time I went through. I ended up removing the license plate and adding it back in and it started working again. Customer Service was no help and I just did it on my own on their website.

-Michael

Thank you!!!

This is some pretty good tech-support.

I did already send out a money order. So hopefully that clears it. But other people reading this will definitely benefit from your post. And if the money I sent does not work for some reason, which I am suspecting it won’t, I will do just what you said and pay again

[mgirardo]

AdvancedQs wrote:
Maryland. Has anyone had trouble with Maryland?

I am a little late to the party, but try this if you haven't paid yet. Access the toll using the notice/citation they sent you, using the Mailing Number and your zip code on the website. It should bring up the toll and give you the option to create an account from there. Create a new account, don't use the one you already created.

I actually wish more states were like MD with their Pay by Plate option. The tolls cost the same as EZ Pass, but without the transponder and having to pre-pay for tolls.

I did have an issue with Maryland when it decided not to charge a toll the last time I went through. I ended up removing the license plate and adding it back in and it started working again. Customer Service was no help and I just did it on my own on their website.

-Michael

[Alan_Hepburn]

Bobbo wrote:

Never, EVER, leave the plates on a vehicle that you sell.

That depends on the state: in California the plates are issued to the vehicle, not the owner, and remain with the vehicle when sold.

[cptqueeg]

valhalla360 wrote:

cptqueeg wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


For a commuter who purposely gets the ezpass, sure.

But for the random guy passing thru, they've taken away the manual pay option on many toll roads. No reason they couldn't put a credit card machine on a lane or two, so you didn't get a surprise later.

Pretty funny comment from the guy that told me to get w technology and get a sat phone so I could get on rec.gov from the middle of nowhere!!!

Nothing to do with technology. It's a faulty system process with no means of addressing mistakes and a distinctly non technology driven process even if it's a legitimate toll. Plenty of cell coverage around most toll booths, so the credit card machines would have no problem running charges.

Most cities have made the switch for downtown parking. They let you pay at a machine rather than logging a bill into the system and it's up to you to make an account, find the fee, etc....

You're just out and out making things up. There is a means of addressing issues and having had some and having them all resolved to my satisfaction I disagree.


Yeah you can pay for the parking w your ezpass too, so what does parking have to do w tolls? The idea that the 2 systems in place to collect the tolls aren't satisfactory to you is just stubbornness and nothing more. It costs nothing to have an account and a transponder, but go ahead and insist on letting them capture the info off your vehicle and whatever errors occur downstream will be the result.

[AdvancedQs]

wapiticountry wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

Samsonsworld wrote:
I've never taken the plates when trading at a dealership, but rethinking it. And this was no small dealership.

Never, EVER, leave the plates on a vehicle that you sell.

In some states the plates are required to stay on the car.

Such as California for instance.

I was surprised by that

[wapiticountry]

Bobbo wrote:

Samsonsworld wrote:
I've never taken the plates when trading at a dealership, but rethinking it. And this was no small dealership.

Never, EVER, leave the plates on a vehicle that you sell.

In some states the plates are required to stay on the car.

[valhalla360]

cptqueeg wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:


For a commuter who purposely gets the ezpass, sure.

But for the random guy passing thru, they've taken away the manual pay option on many toll roads. No reason they couldn't put a credit card machine on a lane or two, so you didn't get a surprise later.

Pretty funny comment from the guy that told me to get w technology and get a sat phone so I could get on rec.gov from the middle of nowhere!!!

Nothing to do with technology. It's a faulty system process with no means of addressing mistakes and a distinctly non technology driven process even if it's a legitimate toll. Plenty of cell coverage around most toll booths, so the credit card machines would have no problem running charges.

Most cities have made the switch for downtown parking. They let you pay at a machine rather than logging a bill into the system and it's up to you to make an account, find the fee, etc....

[valhalla360]

cptqueeg wrote:

AdvancedQs wrote:


Exactly. I can’t believe they are allowed to do this.

I suppose not enough people go on long, out of state road trips to make it a concern people get vocal about. Most people stay home.

Manned toll booths are a living hell, ezpass changed that, and improved millions of peoples commute.

If people want to transit NYC, for instance, once in lifetime in an RV, you're going to have to deal with it or choose another route.

For commuters they can choose to participate and benefit if they like.

Technology allows for a lane to be outfitted with a credit card machine to simplify the process for occasional users rather than the black hole the process, not technology, causes.

[cptqueeg]

AdvancedQs wrote:


Exactly. I can’t believe they are allowed to do this.

I suppose not enough people go on long, out of state road trips to make it a concern people get vocal about. Most people stay home.

Manned toll booths are a living hell, ezpass changed that, and improved millions of peoples commute.

If people want to transit NYC, for instance, once in lifetime in an RV, you're going to have to deal with it or choose another route.

[cptqueeg]

valhalla360 wrote:


For a commuter who purposely gets the ezpass, sure.

But for the random guy passing thru, they've taken away the manual pay option on many toll roads. No reason they couldn't put a credit card machine on a lane or two, so you didn't get a surprise later.

Pretty funny comment from the guy that told me to get w technology and get a sat phone so I could get on rec.gov from the middle of nowhere!!!

[AdvancedQs]

valhalla360 wrote:

free radical wrote:



Plus theres also atendant booth that takes cash or cc. Grab a ticket when entering highway and pay on exiting.

Problem is many toll roads/bridges in the USA have eliminated the attendants and credit card machines.

They have a camera that reads you license plate and for some reason are allowed access to out of state govt databases to get your personal information (I'm sure they've come up with some BS official reasoning). It's up to you to go online and find their website, create an account, find the toll (often doesn't show up for a few weeks, so easy to forget about), then pay the toll. If you don't they add massive late fees. If there is a mistake, they won't accept email or phone calls to cancel it. They want a paper copy of your request mailed in, once mailed, it goes into a black hole and they can deny receiving it.

As the OP said, it's a setup so it's easier for you to pay the false toll rather than fight it.

Exactly. I can’t believe they are allowed to do this.

I suppose not enough people go on long, out of state road trips to make it a concern people get vocal about. Most people stay home.