11 Investigates: E-ZPass penalty fee notification bill passes Pennsylvania House unanimously

PENNSYLVANIA — Turnpike E-ZPass clients are on the highway to getting extra shopper safety following a Channel 11 Information investigation.

Laws launched in response to our experiences about E-ZPass penalty charges handed unanimously within the state Home of Representatives Tuesday, with a vote of 203-0.

“I’ve to thanks for bringing this challenge to mild. With out it, I don’t know we’d have had this laws and had it go immediately,” State Rep. Ryan Warner informed 11 Investigates’ Angie Moreschi after the invoice handed the Home.

Warner, of Fayette and Westmoreland counties, launched the laws after seeing our investigation.

As 11 Investigates uncovered final fall, the Turnpike was not notifying clients about $10 penalty charges they cost when a buyer’s E-ZPass transponder fails to register going via a toll plaza. Greater than 250,000 clients have been hit with the fees final 12 months alone.

Clients blindsided

Clients have been getting the $10 charges, known as “V-tolls,” with no clarification on their payments. E-ZPass buyer Tony Carlisano of Plum Borough found he had been getting quite a lot of them, when he realized his pay as you go account was draining quicker than anticipated and checked his assertion. He ended up with greater than $200 of the so-called V-tolls, however initially had no concept why.

He contacted 11 Investigates for assist final summer time.

The $10 flat payment precipitated a $1.60, one-exit toll to leap all the way in which as much as $10, greater than six occasions as a lot — a far cry from the low cost E-ZPass clients count on to get.

“Ten {dollars} a clip to go from right here to Irwin. That’s one exit!” Carlisano informed 11 Investigates Angie Moreschi on the time, throwing up his arms in disgust. “Being ripped off! What else do you name it?”

Laws launched

When the Turnpike refused to vary its coverage of not notifying clients after our experiences, Warner determined to introduce this invoice to power them to do it by regulation.

“I believed it was unfair to not notify a buyer getting this toll, particularly when it’s really easy to inform a buyer,” Warner mentioned. “It was irritating as a result of individuals have been unaware they have been being charged these tolls.”

Warner was particularly pissed off that the Turnpike at first claimed to Channel 11 that they do notify clients. It was solely after we continued to press for specifics on what number of notifications have been despatched, that the Turnpike lastly acknowledged they didn’t notify any clients in any respect for at the least the previous 5 years.

The V-toll notification invoice would require the Turnpike to inform a buyer the primary time they get a $10 toll in a calendar 12 months, in a way of their selection, both by electronic mail or common mail. It additionally would require an evidence to be supplied for what precipitated the advantageous, like improper placement or an previous transponder. As well as, the Turnpike must inform clients they need to repair the issue and the way to do this, and in the event that they don’t, they may get extra fees.

“The invoice will go a good distance to assist customers, as a matter of excellent customer support,” Warner mentioned on the Home ground when the invoice got here up for last vote.

“I do need to thanks and WPXI for operating this sequence of tales and pushing this challenge,” Warner informed 11 Investigates’ Angie Moreschi after the vote.

He says he hopes the invoice will in the end improve transparency for E-ZPass clients and “proper a fallacious with the Turnpike Fee.”

“Seeing in your tales how many individuals have been unaware they have been being charged $10 at a time, now persons are going to pay attention to what a V-toll is,” Warner mentioned. “I believe that’s essential as a result of, myself included, didn’t even know they existed.”

HB 2139 now strikes on to the Pennsylvania State Senate, the place Warner says he hopes it is going to have probability of passing as a result of it’s had a lot bipartisan assist.

The Turnpike says it’s no longer opposing this invoice.

©2022 Cox Media Group