Beware driving in New England with a Enterprise loaner on the Pike!

[pinball_player]

I had my car in for over four weeks (it should have been a few days but was longer because of the end of year push) and had two different cars (because the first one had issue with wind noise, no super charging, no autopilot, etc). I just got a large charge on my credit card for the tolls accrued when driving the car priced at the "pay by plate" rate, and adding a $3.95 a day 'convenience fee' to the bill.

What should have been about $50 in tolls was charged at over $150.

Had I known that I would be over charged for the tolls, I would have asked for my EZ Pass, but I did not expect that the repair was going to take over four weeks, and I assumed the Enterprise rental worked like Tesla's loaners where Tesla absorbed the costs.

So bottom line... Use you own transponder! Do not let Enterprise rip you off!

 

[tliving]

I had my car in for over four weeks (it should have been a few days but was longer because of the end of year push) and had two different cars (because the first one had issue with wind noise, no super charging, no autopilot, etc). I just got a large charge on my credit card for the tolls accrued when driving the car priced at the "pay by plate" rate, and adding a $3.95 a day 'convenience fee' to the bill.

What should have been about $50 in tolls was charged at over $150.

Had I known that I would be overcharged for the tolls, I would have asked for my EZ Pass, but I did not expect that the repair was going to take over four weeks, and I assumed the Enterprise rental worked like Tesla's loaners where Tesla absorbed the costs.

So bottom line... Use you own transponder! Do not let Enterprise rip you off!

I ran into the exact same thing. The local Enterprise guy on site at Tesla did not tell me to use my own transponder (I told him I drive a lot and would be on the pike a lot and he still didnt mention the toll issue). I opened a support Ticket with Enterprise as they said I should have been told the rules of tolls (nothing is written in the rental agreement). They never responded to the support ticket.

As an aside, the Model S they gave me had only like 700 miles on it when I got it. I more than doubled that in the 2 weeks (!) service had my (new) Model S in to fix suspension issues. The loaner had several build issues and a frunk that wouldn't open and came with no charger (perhaps stuck in the frunk that wouldn't open). I've driven Model S's for 5 years including many loaners. This Enterprise loaner (with only 700 miles on it) was in the worst condition of all I've ever been in.

So, with the OP, I agree, make sure you ask how tolls are handled and if they say not to worry, get that in writing.

All other loaners from Tesla in the past cost me nothing for tolls. I don't mind paying for the tolls, but the extra fees (50% of the total bill for me) are ridiculous.

 

[MichaelS]

Is it possible to go online and temporarily add the loaner to your account in Massachusetts?
You can do that in California. You can also go through the toll without a transponder. The license plate is matched up and the toll paid. No notices sent.

 

[tga]

Is it possible to go online and temporarily add the loaner to your account in Massachusetts?
You can do that in California. You can also go through the toll without a transponder. The license plate is matched up and the toll paid. No notices sent.

I'd be concerned about the timing. There seems to be a lot of lag in processing of plate-read tolls, so you might get charged for another drivers/not for yours, etc.

 

[RaeW]

Is it possible to go online and temporarily add the loaner to your account in Massachusetts?
You can do that in California. You can also go through the toll without a transponder. The license plate is matched up and the toll paid. No notices sent.

AFAIK Transponders in MA are not vehicle specific. You can use your transponder in the loaner.

 

[Ed Freniere]

To this I would add: beware of EZ pass tolls in New Jersey. In December, on our first road trip in our Model 3, we got dinged for a $50.00 "administrative fee" when going through the Lincoln tunnel. Seems like a fine by another name.

Ironically, I had a valid Mass EZ pass transponder in the car. A few months earlier, one of my credit cards was replaced due to a fraud threat. I had forgotten that my EZpass account was refilled from that card. I rarely drive toll roads, so my balance was sufficient for months. When I got home, there was a notice in the mail from MA EZpass that my credit card was invalid. I quickly updated the card info. A couple of weeks later I received a bill from NJ Turnpike Authority with the $13.85 toll for the tunnel and the $50.00 fee. The other maddening thing about this is my EZpass account had allowed me to run a negative balance, except for the Lincoln tunnel toll.

Otherwise our trip from MA to NC and back was very nice, apart from the Tesla nav. diverting us 100 miles out of the way to get to a remote supercharger, when more convenient ones were available. Even without the NJ fee, our cost for tolls was way more than filling up at superchargers. This was before they raised the rates, of course.

 

[wcorey]

AFAIK Transponders in MA are not vehicle specific. You can use your transponder in the loaner.

That's exactly what I've done with a loaner. No reason to expect Tesla to pay your tolls. Sure, they might give you a loaner car but that doesn't include EZ-Pass.

 

[tliving]

That's exactly what I've done with a loaner. No reason to expect Tesla to pay your tolls. Sure, they might give you a loaner car but that doesn't include EZ-Pass.

If you use a transponder in MA for a car thats not listed on your account you can get a ticket. I found that out the hard way a long time ago.

Adding the loaner from your mobile phone while you're getting it isnt a good process for a number of reasons.

As I said, I have no problem paying the tolls, but the process sucks.

 

[mociaf9]

If you use a transponder in MA for a car thats not listed on your account you can get a ticket. I found that out the hard way a long time ago.

Adding the loaner from your mobile phone while you're getting it isnt a good process for a number of reasons.

As I said, I have no problem paying the tolls, but the process sucks.

I'm not from MA and never used the EZ-pass on the Mass Pike, but where I have used rentals within road/highway/bridge systems that used such transponders, I'm used to the rental having its own transponder/account and then the rental company just bills you for the usage after the fact. Usually the reconciliation happens up to a month after the rental is returned. That seems like the best option to avoid having to futz with listing and de-listing vehicles on accounts.

 

[tliving]

I'm not from MA and never used the EZ-pass on the Mass Pike, but where I have used rentals within road/highway/bridge systems that used such transponders, I'm used to the rental having its own transponder/account and then the rental company just bills you for the usage after the fact. Usually the reconciliation happens up to a month after the rental is returned. That seems like the best option to avoid having to futz with listing and de-listing vehicles on accounts.

Right, that would be the reasonable/normal thing to do.

 

[pinball_player]

Yes, the reasonable thing would be for the rental company to have a transponder in the car, and to bill you at the transponder rates. But remember rental car companies are like the airlines. They want to nickel and dime you every chance they can. For example in Florida, there are a lot of toll roads in the Orlando area. They have a transponder in the car, but they bill you at the standard rates, not at the Sun Pass rates you would pay if you have your own Sun Pass transponder. Plus they add a at least $3 'convenience fee' per day to the bill.

Many years ago even though I live in Mass, I bought a Sun Pass transponder and we use it every time we go there now. Pretty much every toll is discounted and I do not have to pay the extra fees.

My major issue with Tesla and Enterprise is that I was not informed about the over charging of the tolls, and my car was supposed to be a couple of days to fix but took over four weeks, so I was basically ripped off of about $100 for the fees and tolls.

I am not happy and will demand that I do not get an enterprise rental car from now on at Tesla.

 

[KerryOH]

Is it possible to go online and temporarily add the loaner to your account in Massachusetts?
You can do that in California. You can also go through the toll without a transponder. The license plate is matched up and the toll paid. No notices sent.

Rental can also be registered online to work with EZ Pass in NY/NJ area

 

[JWardell]

This is a problem all over the country with rental cars and electronic tolling. I was charged hundreds for $15 of tolls on a trip once.

I also don't think you can't use your own transponder, not just because you can get a ticket for doing so, but I'm pretty sire it won't work. I think mass really just looks at the plates now.

 

[wcorey]

This is a problem all over the country with rental cars and electronic tolling. I was charged hundreds for $15 of tolls on a trip once.

I also don't think you can't use your own transponder, not just because you can get a ticket for doing so, but I'm pretty sire it won't work. I think mass really just looks at the plates now.

It's been a few years since I've worked in MA, but when the car was in the shop I'd use my transponder in the rental. Implicit in this thread is the state photos every car/truck and does OCR on the plates then looks them up to see if they match the car. I, strongly, doubt that. If the light is red or amber, yes, of course they photo the plate because they they didn't read the transponder. Is there a law on this?
https://www.e-zpassny.com/en/faq/rentalcars.shtml

Renting a Vehicle

Note the use of "you could..."

 

[yousexy]

If the transponder is not readable, then a picture of the plate will be taken and used for billing purpose. or a picture of the plate is taken always but never used unless the sensor cannot read your transponder.

The reason I'm saying that is because when my wife leased her MB GLE, we forgot to update her transponder's information with Mass EZ Pass. and she was driving on the pike all the time, the transponder worked the way it should. Eventually, I remembered to update her EZ-Pass transponder information, just 2 years later.

 

[wcorey]

Let me put this here. I'll start a new thread specifically for this:

Attn: Ct Tesla Owners please go to this address and sign the online petition to the State Legislature.
Sign your name to bring Tesla to CT

 

[JWardell]

It's been a few years since I've worked in MA, but when the car was in the shop I'd use my transponder in the rental. Implicit in this thread is the state photos every car/truck and does OCR on the plates then looks them up to see if they match the car. I, strongly, doubt that. If the light is red or amber, yes, of course they photo the plate because they they didn't read the transponder. Is there a law on this?
https://www.e-zpassny.com/en/faq/rentalcars.shtml

Renting a Vehicle

Note the use of "you could..."

That was true a few years ago, but mass has changed to all electronic. There are no red/amber lights as the tolls are all gone. They absolutely are OCRing every plate that passes under every gantry. I stopped bothering to keep my transponder anywhere readable and they never miss a toll.

 

[Pollux]

That was true a few years ago, but mass has changed to all electronic. There are no red/amber lights as the tolls are all gone. They absolutely are OCRing every plate that passes under every gantry. I stopped bothering to keep my transponder anywhere readable and they never miss a toll.

Amassing a state-wide database of all travels along I-90 including vehicle, entry and exit timestamps, entry and exit ramps, presence of transponder (the flat sensors) and license plate... and as far as I know, no limitation on data retention period.

Quite a step forward on the surveillance machinery, including the Surveillance Wayback Machine. And let's not forget the potential ability to correlate the Turnpike Authority's database with those of the major cellphone providers, so that we can watch all the passengers travelling together along with their texts and whatever metadata are retained for Internet services. Wheee!

What could possibly go wrong with that?

Good thing we as a country have decided we will never spy on nuns, civil rights activists, political activists, environmental activists or women who want to march together in large numbers wearing threatening headgear. /s

Alan

 

[wcorey]

That was true a few years ago, but mass has changed to all electronic. There are no red/amber lights as the tolls are all gone. They absolutely are OCRing every plate that passes under every gantry. I stopped bothering to keep my transponder anywhere readable and they never miss a toll.

That's amazing! I retired about 3-4 years ago. Maybe it's exactly 4 right now. Took Mass Pike from FRM to I 290 and back. So what happens if you don't have EZ-Pass? Can't use Mass Pike? I was thinking my EZ-Pass would be useful if/when we go to Newport. Used to live in RI, family still there.

 

[EdA]

They say they will bill you by mail...