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Pay those tolls, y’all

By Mike Morin - For The Telegraph | Sep 18, 2021

Mike Morin

“Where am I going to get $8,000?” asked the woman at the Nashua E-ZPass window ahead of me recently. I was at the E-ZPass walk-in center because I received an email telling me, “Based upon our records you have accumulated more than 10 image based tolls in the Month of August 2021 and E-ZPass is utilizing your license plate(s) xxxx06x to debit your account for your toll usage. The non-replaceable battery contained within your transponder may have reached its useful life and in all likelihood is no longer working.”

Sure enough! Next day I hustled into the DMV/E-ZPass center at exit 6 off the Everett Turnpike. Whenever you receive a notice like that, it’s rarely good news. They were right. The battery-operated windshield-mounted device finally croaked after 15 years. My original transponder. E-ZPass started up in 2006.

It was my turn. I walked up to the window and handed over said expired transponder and my NH driver’s license.

“Looks like you came prepared,” the friendly clerk commented.

“Yes,” I said. “But I wasn’t prepared for what I just overheard from the woman asking rather loudly where she was going to find eight grand to settle her apparent string of unpaid tolls. Does this happen often?” I asked. The clerk shook her head yes.

“But the state will work with them on a payment plan,” she added. Penalties and fees make up the bulk of the amount owed to the state.

She handed me a new transponder and I walked away with the desire to dig into the world of people who rack up massive fines for whatever reason. Well, the reasons are not obvious. It was eye-opening. But why?

Then I hit the story jackpot in an unexpected place. I went to the New Hampshire Better Business Bureau page where there are no less than 77 complaints filed against E-ZPass. Of those, 69 involved billing/collections. Despite a lot of complaints, E-ZPass still merits an A+ BBB rating, the highest there is.

The first complaint I read involved a person that owed $655. E-ZPass responded and offered a reduction to close the case for $280.

And another (mostly verbatim): “I talked to nh earlier pass and they said I owe 550 plus 26 outstanding bills. That’s a total lie. I never received any invoices just like everyone else. Seems to be a pattern with your scam you are pulling. I will be paying that 550 dollars or I’ll take this to court and we can settle it through a judge. I dont know how yall sleep at night. I was even going to pay 250 a month ago just to shut you guys up because I need my class b license next week. If I lose my job due to you guys scamming people I’ll be suing for pai. And suffering also.” The E-ZPass offer was to settle from $675 to $276.25.

Last I heard, E-ZPass folks are sleeping just fine at night. And remember. You’ll catch more flies with honey, y’all.

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