I was fined for driving on road I hadn’t used in a year – even though I had proof that the car in question wasn’t mine | 1ES3N93 | 2024-05-07 12:08:01
I was fined for driving on road I hadn't used in a year – even though I had proof that the car in question wasn't mine | 1ES3N93 | 2024-05-07 12:08:01
A DRIVER was baffled when he received invoices for crossing a toll bridge he had not used for a year in a car that he did not own.
Brandt McCool from Louisville, Kentucky, was shocked when notices arrived in the mail charging him for bridge crossings with images of a car that was completely different from his.
In 2023, McCool moved back to the city and bought himself a black Volvo XC 60 SUV as he prepared for the arrival of his daughter.
However, the invoices that started coming in the mail showed an entirely different car driving on the roads he had not been on.
"I knew immediately that something was wrong," McCool told WHAS-TV.
He showed the outlet one of the notices he received, accusing the RiverLink toll provider Electronic Transaction Consultants of "milking their profits."
"You can see that is a white light-colored Honda Sedan," he told the outlet, pointing at the vehicle on the invoice.
"There's no Volvo sign there and it's a different color car."
He noted that the plate number of the Honda was nearly identical to his other than the final digit.
The new father said his first reaction to the toll provider's mistake was that "a big out-of-state company just wants to milk their profits."
The company "really doesn't care about the people of the community they're servicing," he added.
ETC, which is based in Texas, took over in 2023, and drivers immediately made numerous complaints about incorrect tickets and struggles contacting customer service, per WHAS-TV.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> McCool claimed that "ETC wasn't ready for prime time" and "didn't have the resources or the preparation in place to actually handle the volume of complaints and tickets they were going to get."
When fighting his invoices, McCool filed a form disputing the initial charges and the subsequent late fees he was hit with.
"This is not my car and I have not driven across the bridge please remove these violations from my car given that your system didn't fully read the license plate on the picture," the frustrated driver wrote.
However, McCool did not hear anything back from the company, not even when it waived fees issued during the transition period between toll providers.
At the time McCool went to the news outlet, RiverLink spokesperson Miny Peterson said that the issue was caused by an apparent "misread" that would be "resolved during the dispute process."
<!--googleoff: all--> <blockquote class="article__quote"> </blockquote> <!--googleon: all--> In an update days later, Peterson told the outlet, "Registration holds have not been implemented yet by the new provider, and no date has been set yet to begin sending vehicle registration holds."
Drivers like McCool who had already received charges would also not be fined, it was confirmed.
However, McCool and fellow drivers were further angered by the lack of communication.
Rather than be informed of the news, McCool's outstanding balance was zeroed and his bills were withdrawn after he shared his story with the news outlet.
"They should have communicated through the media, through their website, through social media," he said before adding, "squeaky wheel does get the grease."
More >> https://ift.tt/sKiX0Lj Source: MAG NEWS
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