Paying 407 ETR Bill?

[KBear]

Over the years I have been able to avoid the 407, however about a month ago I made a wrong turn on the highway and wound up on the 407.

The cost of driving on the 407 ETR to the next 407 exit was:

$0.41 Toll charge
$3.35 Video Charge
$2.00 Account Fee

$5.76 Total Due

Add the time and cost of writing a cheque, with postage, and it seems to me to be an outrageous cost/charge. The question is, what happens if I don’t pay it?

 

[Cardinal Fang]

At this moment, nothing. You may get bill collectors that call you after a certain period of time. The 407 has been trying to negotiate with the government to have the license renewal tied into paying off your 407 debt. At this point, the government has said no to that idea.

 

[Cardinal Fang]

Oakville to Toronto last week........$20.00!

 

[KBear]

Another question, how did these guys get my mailing address? It would seem they have access to a data base that matches our plate with our address, is this information not to some degree confidential. Why do they get total access to this government database. Something seems wrong with this....


We have a Privacy Act:

Collection of personal information
"No personal information shall be collected by a government institution unless it relates directly to an operating program or activity of the institution."

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/P-21/text.html

 

[flyingdgn]

Few stories about the 407.

A friend of mine used to drive his pick up with the rear gate open. The cameras could never pick up the plate and he was never sent a bill for over 2 years. (I don't know if this still works as I lost contact with him last year)

There is a spray that you could buy in the U.S. that makes your plate highly reflective. This is used in the states for Photo Radar and the Red Light Cameras. After 4-5 coats, it makes your plate so reflective that one of two of the letters/numbers can't be read (depending on the angle) by the camera. Apparently this is not illegal as long as you can read the plate by eye.

There was a program on CITY TV where a guy was getting billed on his transponder when he was not using it. To prove that this was happening, he hired a lawyer to witness him putting the transponder in a safety deposit bank and then taking it out some time later. He received an invoice with billing for 407 use on that particular transponder during the time that the transponder was locked up at the bank. Everything was video taped.
Point being that this may be a good case to not pay a bill as the cameras and transponders are not always accurate.

I would use the 407 more often if they had toll booths where I could pay as I drive instead of getting a massive bill at the end of the month. It's like buying beer. If we had to pay once a month instead of paying everytime we went to the Beer Store (imagine what the bill would come up to) I think there will be many that would quit drinking.

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Read the Act that created the mess.

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/98h28_e.htm

 

[Cardinal Fang]

Another question, how did these guys get my mailing address? It would seem they have access to a data base that matches our plate with our address, is this information not to some degree confidential. Why do they get total access to this government database. Something seems wrong with this....

I'm not sure of the implication kbear. The 407 came into existance under the NDP government and the method by which it collected tolls is no different than how some tolls are collected in the U.S. When the government sold the 407 the means by which the tolls were collected went with it.

People know well in advance as to how the tolls are collected. If you choose to use the 407, whether by accident or on purpose, you are subject to the terms of it's use.

 

[jwmorrice]

Another question, how did these guys get my mailing address? It would seem they have access to a data base that matches our plate with our address, is this information not to some degree confidential. Why do they get total access to this government database. Something seems wrong with this....


We have a Privacy Act:

Collection of personal information
"No personal information shall be collected by a government institution unless it relates directly to an operating program or activity of the institution."

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/P-21/text.html

Go to the privacy section of this page and stop picking on private enterprise!

http://www.407etr.com/qas/qas.asp

jwm

 

[Cardinal Fang]

There is a spray that you could buy in the U.S. that makes your plate highly reflective. This is used in the states for Photo Radar and the Red Light Cameras. After 4-5 coats, it makes your plate so reflective that one of two of the letters/numbers can't be read (depending on the angle) by the camera. Apparently this is not illegal as long as you can read the plate by eye.

Not so....

The Ministry of Transportation has warned that using Photo Stopper—or any other device or substance—to intentionally obscure a licence plate is against the law.

"Section 13 of the [act] says the licence plate shall not be obstructed by any device that prevents the entire number plate from being accurately photographed."

The fine for intentionally obscuring a licence plate is $110.

 

[KBear]

Read the Act that created the mess.

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/98h28_e.htm

This link does not seem to work?

 

[jwmorrice]

Not so....

The Ministry of Transportation has warned that using Photo Stopper—or any other device or substance—to intentionally obscure a licence plate is against the law.

"Section 13 of the [act] says the licence plate shall not be obstructed by any device that prevents the entire number plate from being accurately photographed."

The fine for intentionally obscuring a licence plate is $110.

Who the hell do you think you are? Perry Mason??

jwm

 

[Cardinal Fang]

*Eyes shift*

 

[jwmorrice]

This link does not seem to work?

Works okay for me.

jwm

 

[flyingdgn]

Not so....

The Ministry of Transportation has warned that using Photo Stopper—or any other device or substance—to intentionally obscure a licence plate is against the law.

"Section 13 of the [act] says the licence plate shall not be obstructed by any device that prevents the entire number plate from being accurately photographed."

The fine for intentionally obscuring a licence plate is $110.

<runs to garage for turpentine>

 

[corena]

Judging by the amount of bills i get from these people every month in other peoples names...they won't notice,

Funniest part of that is there has only EVER been mine and one other family living in this house...and neither of our names are the one's the 407 is sending the bills to.

 

[Cardinal Fang]

That's sad Corena because allowing bills to accumulate like that only affects their credit rating. Sure you can skirt the payment but who are you really affecting?

 

[George OTJ]

Bunch of incompetent jerks they are! They've been sending me bills every month for about two years now. I called them after the first bill and after waiting on the line for a bloody half hour, I explained to the CSR that I'd turned in my transponder and had not used the 407 since they put un-authorized charges against my VISA. Eventhough VISA refunded the charge, I told the CSR that I won't do business with a company that's pissing around with my VISA number. If this was my vehicle and not a computer error, fine - send me proof the charge is legimate.

Never heard from them again, except to get another bill.

Then when I was heading for the TERB party at Sundowner in NF, I took the 403, I was misdirected by the road signs and accidentally ended up on the 407 (The sign said keep left for QEW, but instead of a two-way split, it was a 3-way split and the middle ramp was the one I needed). I got off at the first available ramp and I got the same charge.

I wrote to them twice and got no response - except for another bill, so I said to hell with them!! If they were going to ignore me, I'd ignore them.

Like I said, I've been getting bills from them every month now for about two years.

 

[George OTJ]

That's sad Corena because allowing bills to accumulate like that only affects their credit rating. Sure you can skirt the payment but who are you really affecting?

I think 407 has a bad enough reputation that companies know about them. In my case, 407 had not only placed and unauthorized charge against my VISA, but they'd put it against an old number which was reported stolen.

I think thats why VISA refunded the charge - I filed a complaint to their office for breach of the card holders agreement for processing the unauthorized charge on the old number 3 weeks after the card was reported stolen to them. From what the bank told me (unofficially before the complaint) they have a LOT of problems with 407 Visa numbers not being updated correctly.

 

[Leggy Linda]

I hate the 407!!

I owed them some money at one point
they sent the creditors after me

Then one time ( dont know how the hell this happened)

but somehow I ended up overpaying them!



It took them over one year to pay me back!!

it was only $15.00

I was emailing them the same message 10 times a day

then they finaly mailed me the check

 

[Cardinal Fang]

I agree GeorgeOTJ, they are a bad company. My brother had recieved charges to his account that were not accurate. In trying to get the record cleared up he was ignored and shuffled from one person to another. Fast forward 4 years later when during a routine credit check on him he was notified of an outstanding charge. Despite the fact that the 407 was in the wrong it appeared on his credit check with Equafax. He spent another year getting the charge removed from his credit record.

It's not fair but it does happen.