Traffic infringement in Spain

[RooFlyer]

Slightly OT but when I hire a car overseas I use a different CC to my everyday one. Once I've returned the car and any invoice is settled on the day, I block the CC on my phone app to stop "mysterious" charges being applied at a later date. If I need to use it again I'll unblock it and then re-block it later. The chances of a previous 'mysterious" charge going through in that short period are pretty minimal. I'll wait until I get a letter.

That's a good idea. The Wise card I think allows you to generate 3 'burner' (temporary) CC numbers which would work here.

 

[clifford]

EUR40 seems very reasonable for a speeding fine (unrealistic?).

A few years ago I was pinged by a speed camera in France when driving a Spanish registered car. Never heard anything from Hertz or the French/Spanish authorities.

So my driving record is still impeccably clean (don't really know how that can be).

 

[karen blancfield]

Generally one must pay traffic fines. But not sure in other jurisdictions, but FWIW Italian law (European law?) says you must receive the actual infringement notice to your registered address within 360 days of the infringement. Outside that, you are not liable. You still get hit with the outrageous charge from the hire car company to supply your details through. Not much one can do about that since it’s part of the rental agreement that you are liable for the fee.

I got an unwarranted ZTL infringement in Brescia a few years back (hotel had not registered the vehicle) some 367 days after date and replied and refused to pay according to law.

Yes we’ve sucked up the car company charge. It’s obvious from the photo they sent that we must have been a little faster than allowed. But will wait and see if anything comes from the police or traffic dept.

 

[karen blancfield]

EUR40 seems very reasonable for a speeding fine (unrealistic?).

A few years ago I was pinged by a speed camera in France when driving a Spanish registered car. Never heard anything from Hertz or the French/Spanish authorities.

So my driving record is still impeccably clean (don't really know how that can be).

No the €40 is just the car company charge for supplying our details. We’ve paid that. The fine is €100 but if we’d received it inside 20 days, it was reduced by 50%. As I said, we will pay if we need to, it’s nothing compared to what we spent over 7 weeks of travel

 

[TheRealTMA]

That's a good idea. The Wise card I think allows you to generate 3 'burner' (temporary) CC numbers which would work here.

No, that doesn’t work. Cancelled cards still lead back to you and your liability. The bank will chase you for the debt.

 

[marki]

Slightly OT but when I hire a car overseas I use a different CC to my everyday one. Once I've returned the car and any invoice is settled on the day, I block the CC on my phone app to stop "mysterious" charges being applied at a later date. If I need to use it again I'll unblock it and then re-block it later. The chances of a previous 'mysterious" charge going through in that short period are pretty minimal. I'll wait until I get a letter.

Sometimes two cards are required.

 

[Guvner]

Sometimes two cards are required.

Never been asked for two cards, not saying it doesn’t happen but I’ve rented cars in may different countries using many different companies and never experienced that.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

I received a notification of a fine for speeding in Germany from a Road Traffic Authority
earlier this year, a month or so after hiring a car in Munich.
The notice was very official looking complete with a "State Seal" and it was all in German. The fine was several hundred Euro and it mentioned the correct car hire Company.
After translation I realised that the date of the offence was a couple of days before we
arrived in Germany. However I was still unsure as I may have, unintentionally, exceeded the 130 k limit on the autobahns - but only of course to be in harmony with the rest of the traffic.

 

[anyonebutqantas]

Slightly OT but when I hire a car overseas I use a different CC to my everyday one. Once I've returned the car and any invoice is settled on the day, I block the CC on my phone app to stop "mysterious" charges being applied at a later date. If I need to use it again I'll unblock it and then re-block it later. The chances of a previous 'mysterious" charge going through in that short period are pretty minimal. I'll wait until I get a letter.

Clever strategy.

 

[Brissy1]

Slightly OT but when I hire a car overseas I use a different CC to my everyday one. Once I've returned the car and any invoice is settled on the day, I block the CC on my phone app to stop "mysterious" charges being applied at a later date. If I need to use it again I'll unblock it and then re-block it later. The chances of a previous 'mysterious" charge going through in that short period are pretty minimal. I'll wait until I get a letter.

But, hire companies usually/always take an advanced "hold" amount on collect, and that doesn't come back for maybe a week or more after returning. I don't know whether blocking a card will cancel that hold they have. If it does then yes great idea I'll start doing the same.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Clever strategy.

Doesn't work.

 

[Guvner]

Never, or just in your experience?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Never, or just in your experience?

You are still liable for debts incurred on any legitimate credit card charge even you have even if you have cancelled it.

 

[Happy Dude]

How/where is a "mysterious" charge defined? I can't see any feature on my AmEx explorer or ANZ Plat Freq Flyer that would allow a line in the e-sand to be drawn. If you've told the CC you're travelling OS, then transactions from hire car companies and tolls etc would hardly be surprising let alone mysterious.

 

[anyonebutqantas]

How/where is a "mysterious" charge defined? I can't see any feature on my AmEx explorer or ANZ Plat Freq Flyer that would allow a line in the e-sand to be drawn. If you've told the CC you're travelling OS, then transactions from hire car companies and tolls etc would hardly be surprising let alone mysterious.

Are people still telling their card-issuing banks about OS travel? I've never done that and never had a problem.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Are people still telling their card-issuing banks about OS travel? I've never done that and never had a problem.

No we don't anymore. May depend on the specific card. But it's probably sensible to do if you can do it through the app or website.

 

[Happy Dude]

Are people still telling their card-issuing banks about OS travel? I've never done that and never had a problem.

I don't think it's a requirement per se, but some banks can be rather reactive to OS charges, especially where that would be uncommon.

It never happened to me either but now I prefer to err on the side of caution and let them know, as a blocked card, even for a short time, would no doubt be a bigger inconvenience.

 

[Guvner]

You are still liable for debts incurred on any legitimate credit card charge even you have even if you have cancelled it.

I wasn’t suggesting avoiding legitimate charges. Read my post again. It was about avoiding having mysterious (mysterious being defined as a mystery to me) charges applied later where you have little to no recourse once back home. If the charges are legitimate I’ll pay them manually. I also didn’t suggest canceling the cards. Maybe you read some other post.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I wasn’t suggesting avoiding legitimate charges. Read my post again. It was about avoiding having mysterious (mysterious being defined as a mystery to me) charges applied later where you have little to no recourse once back home. If the charges are legitimate I’ll pay them manually. I also didn’t suggest canceling the cards. Maybe you read some other post.

I wasn't suggesting you were. The simple point i was making is that cancelling or blocking a card does not protect you from charges you have incurred or may incurr even after the card is cancelled by you.

 

[trooper]

Got a speeding fine in Chateauroux (south of Paris) Nothing charged by the car rental company, but received the French infringement notice in the mail well after arriving home. (So clearly the rental company had passed on my address) Even though that must have taken a while I was still able to take advantage of the "pay before xx date" discount. By ACT standards the fine was tiny. As I hope to go back to France I paid it straight away. Everything could be handled online, with an English language option available. They couldn't have made it any easier..