ezpass rip off
robr
Mass Turnpike and for some reason, when I got on (both times), my
transponder was not detected, but was detected when leaving the first
time. I called EZpass from the car and had them make a note and they
said they would adjust the toll if the picture taken of my car getting
on verified my story. When I got off the second time, I went thru a
booth instead, where I was charged the full rate and told to get a
refund from EZpass by sending in my receipt and having them find the
picture where I got on. Yeah... right......
So, all this is not the issue. My wife decides that my transponder's
batteries must be dying. I tell her it's worked fine at every toll
booth I've gone thru since and prior to that date, the only issue was
getting onto the Pike, but to appease her, I get on the NH EZpass
website and try to find info about replacing a transponder with dying
batteries. The only thing I can find is a link to order a new one, so
I click the link to find out how much a new one costs or if there is
any info about batteries. Instead it promptly orders me a new one and
says I have been charged $20.95. I call the EZpass customer service #
to cancel it (and also email them via the website), but customer
service is closed on Saturday. So I call Monday and am told it's too
late to cancel, it's been shipped. I'm told as long as I don't use
it, there's an address in the package I will be receiving with
instructions on how to return it and I can get my $$$ back.
I'm going to back track a moment and share a story that someone here
at work told me a while back. He had ordered a transponder at one
point and found that EZpass NJ (who apparently manages the whole
EZpass program for NH) does not package them in the "signal blocking"
bag that they include and when he received it, it had charges on it
for when the postal service crossed over the GW bridge along with some
other tolls.
So when I received my new transponder yesterday, first thing I did was
check online and sure enough:
3/25/10 03/24/10 XXXXXXXXXXX NJTP 12 03:35:19 18W 03:57:12 STANDARD N
1 +$3.00 +$21.16
I am calling them now, but this is just to let people know that
apparently standard practice for mailing a transponder is to not put
it in a bag, then run up charges against it when it's shipped and
collect the $$$ from the people who do not notice.
So I have to get this credited back to my account and get them to take
back the transponder and credit me for that as well. This should be
fun.
Jimmy
> I live in MA and have a NH EZpass transponder. Recently I was on the
> Mass Turnpike and for some reason, when I got on (both times), my
> transponder was not detected, but was detected when leaving the first
> time. I called EZpass from the car and had them make a note and they
> said they would adjust the toll if the picture taken of my car getting
> on verified my story. When I got off the second time, I went thru a
> booth instead, where I was charged the full rate and told to get a
> refund from EZpass by sending in my receipt and having them find the
> picture where I got on. Yeah... right......
I think when your transponder fails to read, the Mass Pike reserves
the right to charge a $5 fine in addition to the toll, and guess your
entry point based on your usual travel patterns. Even if your license
plate was properly registered on the account.
> The only thing I can find is a link to order a new one, so
> I click the link to find out how much a new one costs or if there is
> any info about batteries. Instead it promptly orders me a new one and
> says I have been charged $20.95.
That's some bad website design. It should always be totally clear when
a click means you're making the decision to buy something.
Most, if not all, agencies that make you buy an E-ZPass make you buy
another one when the batteries die. It's yet another reason why
restricting casual-use toll discounts to an agency's own accounts is
irritating.
Since you have to pay for a new transponder, do they let you keep the
old one? If so, someone should crack the thing open and post
instructions for how to change the battery, which would save everyone
a whole lot of money.
> He had ordered a transponder at one
> point and found that EZpass NJ (who apparently manages the whole
> EZpass program for NH) does not package them in the "signal blocking"
> bag that they include and when he received it, it had charges on it
> for when the postal service crossed over the GW bridge along with some
> other tolls.
That happens a lot, and I'm really surprised they haven't fixed this
problem yet.
Jimmy
Michael Moroney
>Since you have to pay for a new transponder, do they let you keep the
>old one? If so, someone should crack the thing open and post
>instructions for how to change the battery, which would save everyone
>a whole lot of money.
Info on how to do so is already on the web. What I remember: The case
was not designed to be opened, the site I saw showed where to cut with a
Dremel tool to do minimal damage. The battery is a fairly standard
lithium battery, but is soldered in place. No, I don't remember the URL.
robr
They have credited back my account for the toll and asked why I didn't
just write return to sender on the package. I told them because they
told me the info for returning it would be IN the package. Now they
say send it back and they will credit my account. I asked if I needed
an RMA # or if I had to enclose any info, and was told no, they will
'just know to do it'. I had a bad feeling about that. I will be
enclosing a letter with all the necessary info.
Pete from Boston
"Satisfaction guaranteed unless opened."