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UPDATE: The Fox Rent a Car Highway Toll Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed on August 24, 2011.
A class action lawsuit filed in Seattle, Washington claims Fox Rent a Car and Violation Management Services illegally scammed rental car customers by charging them as much as 16 times the amount of automatically collected highway tolls incurred during the course of their car rental.
Fox Rent a Car vehicles are equipped with automated equipment that records the vehicle’s passage through a highway toll so that drivers can proceed non-stop without having to pay the toll at the time of use. Fox is later billed for the toll by highway authorities.
According to the Fox Rent a Car class action lawsuit, Fox and other rental car companies have several options available to ensure they do not incur toll charges in the first place and/or that they are able to recoup the actual cost of toll charges incurred by customers during the course of the rental. This includes registering their fleets’ plates with “EXpress Toll” so that their renters’ tolls will be automatically applied to the rental agreement, paying the toll and then collecting the actual cost of the toll from the customer, or responding to toll bills by providing the issuing authority information regarding the rental so that the toll can be collected by the issuing authority directly from the customer.
Fox does not use any of these options, however, and has chosen instead to conspire with Violation Management Services “to turn Fox customers’ tolls into an illegal profit center for themselves,” the class action lawsuit says.
Rather than taking advantage of any of these collection options, “Fox has retained Violation Management Services to act as its alleged ‘administrator and processor’ of such tolls. Pursuant to this arrangement, VMS unilaterally charges customers’ credit cards for the amount of the tolls, plus an exorbitant ‘service fee’ – possibly varying in amount but sometimes exceeding 1600% of the actual toll. This ‘service fee’ is not authorized by customers, is not properly disclosed to customers, far exceeds any actual cost to Fox and/or VMS for the collection of the toll, is arbitrary and unreasonable, and is accompanied by numerous false and deceptive statements about the alleged right to collect the ‘service fee.’
“The ‘service fee’ is nothing other than an illegal scam to collect from customers amounts that they do not owe. Indeed, VMS makes no bones about its practices, having indicated on its website that its business is to turn the collection of such tolls ‘into a profitable customer service solution.’ VMS further shares the spoils of its illegally-collected ‘service fees’ with the rental car companies with whom it contracts, offering to pay them a kickback in the form of a ‘summons incentive . . . for each service fee collected’ from customers,” states the class action lawsuit.
The class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all Washington residents or entities who, within the applicable limitations period, have been charged a “service fee” by VMS in connection with the incurrence or alleged incurrence of automatic highway tolls during the course of a vehicle rental from Fox. It is asking for damages to class members, including a full refund of any money they paid for “service fees” and tolls.
A copy of the Fox Rent a Car and Violation Management Services Class Action Lawsuit can be read here. The case is Averil Rothrock, et al. v. Violation Management Services, Inc. and Fox Rent a Car, Inc., Case No. 11-2-18292-4 SEA, Superior Court of Washington for King County, Seattle Division.
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63 thoughts onFox Rent a Car Highway Toll Class Action Lawsuit
I just came back from Orlanso FL ans I have received 2 separate Bill’s about frvi g the rental car through toll booth. The first bill was for $2.50 plus $15. Now I received a second billion of $5 plus $30 . I am confused. Which one so I pay. This really is a scam and someone needs shut Fox rental business down.
Been on hold with Fox for 40 min, calling to dispute. The guy sold me a product I didn’t even use. I told him my route. He made it seem like I was going to hit many tolls. I hit 1.
SAME HERE !
THEY’RE HARASSING ME WITH THIS RIDICULOUS FEES IN WISH I REFUSE TO PAY IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY BUT THE SCAM THEY HAVE GOING. AND IT NEEDS TO STOP ”
THEY ARE ACCUSING ME WITH PASSING TOLL BOOTHS I NEVER SAW THEM COMING,
6 TIMES WITH IN 5 MINS AND $15 ADM FEE FOR EACH … TOTAL $97.89
IT IS CRAZY PLEASE HOW CAN I JOIN YOUR LAWSUIT AND SHUT THEM OUT OF BUSSINESS
just a follow up… THEY WAIVE THE FEES
From: Jessica Nazarian
Subject: FLL-288190
Date: November 11, 2016 at 9:48:38 AM MST
I apologize for the delay but I have received word from the American Traffic Solutions about the request to waive the administrative fees and it has been approved. You are now only responsible for the toll charge which is $2.10. You can either pay it by calling the number 855-571-5137 or by going onto the website http://www.foxtollsandfines.com and logging in using your last name and rental agreement number. Thank you
—
Jessica Nazarian
Customer Service Representative
FOX RENT A CAR, INC.
Valencia Office
jnazarian@foxrentacar.com
Gary I’m dealing with the same BS admin fees for a $1.40 toll…my problem is there were no signs stating I was on a toll road nor anyway to pay cash for using that toll road. Can I email this person and get my admin fees waived?? How do I go about it? Thank you!! This is truly a scam especially on tourists and it’s ridiculous that the state of Florida allows such a scam against their visitors!!!
My story is exactly the same as Bruce’s except I was in Florida. One toll was $0.70 and the other $1.40 for a total of $2.10 PLUS two “administrative fees” of $15 each by Fox Rent A Car. I called the number on the notice from Fox Tolls and Fines and was told they cannot reduce the fee. The fact that I had just paid the toll did not matter. The agent eventually told me I had to call Fox directly to ask for a reduction. I tried to call the rental location from which I picked up and returned the car and reached a call center. I was helped by an agent who told me she can ask for a fee cancellation from American Traffic Solutions. It will take up to 2 days. I’m now waiting to hear back
I was charged two “administrative fees” of $15 each by Fox Rent A Car. I called the number on the notice from Fox Tolls and Fines and was told they cannot reduce the fee. The fact that I had just paid the toll did not matter. The agent eventually told me I had to call Fox directly to ask for a reduction. I tried to call the rental location from which I picked up and returned the car and reached a call center. I was helped by an agent who told me she can ask for a fee cancellation from American Traffic Solutions. It will take up to 2 days. I’m now waiting to hear back
It may require an act of congress to put a leash on these scammers. Just been billed $70 service fee by Violation Management Solutions on behalf of Airport car rentals Inc for twice lane violations of $1.50 each. I was also billed $40 State of Illinois penalty for two violations. The fact is that I was new in town, may be drove in a EZ pass lane only where a charge of $1.50 was to be deducted from my transponder/account that I din’t have. Illinois tollway does not charge the penalty if you have done a honest mistake and pay the toll online within one week or dispute the charges. I was not communicated of the toll violation. I called the Illinois tollway after receiving the notice from VMS and was told that the tolls have not been paid and the subject vehicle has one additional violation past my rental period. They would not accept partial payments for my two violations as I am not the owner and the tolls were not assigned to me. I decided to pay all three of them, informed the VMS by phone and requested them to refund me $21.50 that I have paid on behalf of the other renter. However, they have still charged my credit card. I will be soon disputing the charges and see if BBB or someone else can help me deal with these scammers. $70 for service charge by Violation Management Service, $40 for State penalty (As I was not informed of the violation within reasonable time frame of the violation) and $3 for the two toll violations. Does it sounds fair?
This happened to me!!! How do I join the lawsuit
Fox rent a car continues to charge $15 administrative fee per toll. Outrageous.
How do we start a class action suit against one of the other car rental companies that do the same thing? I recently rented from Rent Max in Tampa, Florida and had the option of $8.95 a day or $15 a day plus tolls. There is no way I used that much in tolls. A complete scam.
I had the same thing happen this past April (2016). The rental employees dont point out or mention that there are toll by plate only areas in Tampa (especially ones that cannot be avoided when going to Tampa INTL, they dont mention the options of buying the $8.99 daily coverage or be billed $15.00 admin fee + toll and they CERTAINLY dont mention that you can just go to Walgreens, pickup a SunPass for $5.00 + $10.00 minimum balance to carry on the card and be set for the entire trip without a worry – but we only learned that from our shuttle driver at the END of our trip! They dont tell you that you are signing a rental agreement with information pertaining to being charged $15.00 per toll, plus tolls, yet they have to ask if you want the insurance coverage and pre-paid fuel? How is this not verbally disclosed with the rest? Because its a RIP OFF! And you cannot call the tolling agency and pay tolls yourself because rental vehicles are apparently serviced at a different center than residential/personal plates and will not allow for it. This tolling surcharge system for vehicle renters is designed to fail the customer no matter which way – UNLESS they are wise to purchasing a SunPass from a local convenience store – which nobody at Fox will willingly tell you… until its too late. I plan to dispute the charges when they are billed to my credit card (5 tolls ranging from $0.52 to $0.85 and $15.00 admin fee per toll for a total of $78.00+ and contact the Better Business Bureau to report the unfair and misleading practices of this rental company. They were the slowest, most disorganized rental experience Ive ever had and the toll surcharges on top takes the cake!
Are you kidding? I just paid a fine for $82.50 on 3 Oct for not paying a $4.00 toll and received a letter today from the toll roads stating that I now owe $205.50. NOT!
Like to know, what hapened afer you did not pay?