The Illinois Tollway has a website for I-Pass users where they require users to keep all information updated including current address, email and form of payment to replenish the I-Pass transponder.
Why, then, do they rely on the Illinois Secretary of State's office to send out notices to addresses that the state's office has on file should any attention need to be paid to I-Pass user's accounts?
My experience is that I was an I-Pass user for five years and always kept my account up-to-date via either phone conversations or the www.illinoistollway.com website.
In August I purchased a new vehicle. I called I-Pass to update them with my new license plates and my new address and specifically asked if there is anything else they needed from me at that time. I remember this conversation clearly because I actually pulled over and got out of my vehicle to read the new license plates to the phone operator. I was told that all information had been updated.
In March I received a forwarded letter in the mail addressed to an address I had not lived at in over a year stating that this was a final notification that the credit card information on my account was invalid. I was shocked by this letter as I had never gotten a first notification or even a second one. I immediately went onlint to I-Pass and updated my information, including my credit card number.
I went online a couple days later and saw two $40.00 charges withdrawn from my debit account from I-Pass AUTOREPLENISH.
In April of my I-Pass transponder was stolen. I immediately called I-Pass customer service to report this I-Pass personnel. Upon closing the account I made sure to ask what the additional $40 was withdrawn for. I was informed at that time that the additional $40 was for excess tolls that were not paid because the credit card information had been outdated. I made sure to ask if we're "even" and was assured that I was. To this day, I have a credit on my I-Pass account of almost $30. This is in no fathomable way a reasonable amount.
A month ago (May 200) I received a notice in the mail stating I owe over $12,000.00 in toll violations. The address the letter was sent to was an address I had not been at in over a year. The letter I received was sent to me by the Illinois Secretary of State.
I called no more than five minutes after I opened the envelope and was told by a very dismissive and unhelpful individual that my credit card information had been outdated since August of LAST YEAR and that the most they can do for me at this point is a several hundred dollar settlement amount for hundreds of "missed tolls" or toll "violations". I was told I had until JUNE 30 under the CLEAN SWEEP PROGRAM to pay the entire settlement amount. It was during this grueling and stressful conversation that I learned several facts about I-Pass which should not only be challenged on a legal front but completely restructured to protect the consumer against the fradulent and intentionally spiteful activity that continues to prevail in this institution.
I was told by Jessica at the call center that the I-Pass people "have nothing to do with violations, " meaning that the letter I was sent was from the Secretary of State and they're the ones responsible for assessing the fines. Basically, I-Pass/Illinois Tollway has the Secretary of State send out violations to addresses the Secretary of State has on file. What I wanted to know is why I-Pass wouldn't send out their own letters to the updated information they had on file for each customer. The answers I got were completely circular and stated something along the lines of having 2 million customers and preferring to use the Secretary of State for contact. Therefore, what she said about I-Pass not having anything to do with violations, was a complete lie based on two things: 1. The I-Pass/Illinois Tollway is responsible for providing information to the Secretary of State on each user's account 2. The I-Pass/Illinois Tollway collects money and settlement amounts off violation notices sent by the Secretary of State.
After going through this I then explained to her every point from above (purchasing vehicle, receiving credit card notice, and ESPECIALLY making sure my account was up to date) and she informed me that the person updating my account wouldn't know anything about the outstanding $12,000.00 because that's not reflected on the account and because I-Pass/Illinois Tollway has NOTHING TO DO WITH VIOLATIONS.
The other thing I found out was that two other violation notices were sent to me via mail during random intervals, obviously neither of which I had received. I found out that the violation (mailed to the address the Sec. Of State had on file, not the one I-Pass had on file) was a final violation prior to suspension of license and registration.
Naturally, I was more than just a little upset. Every violation had an upcharge of $20.00 and late fees on top of that. So, basically. 40 easily turns into an unreasonable and completely outlandish fine totally nearly $75 a piece or more. Each "violation" is then added up and mine happened to add up to over $12,000.00. Because I wasn't exactly pleasant and accomodating to the phone operator, she hung up on me having nothing but circular and scripted responses to give me of which I was getting completely tired. I was told, in a nutshell, that there's nothing else they'll do for me because this was the final violation notice ignoring that I had not ever received the prior two and that I had updated my account all along WITH I-PASS.
After a while I called back and requested a supervisor but the woman on the phone (Brittany) was very kind and listened to what I told her from the beginning and even though she discussed the issue with her supervisor she apologized and told me that if I wanted to additionally dispute the matter I had to drive to the I-Pass headquarters and dispute it with the people there, face-to-face. I made sure to ask her if this will yield better results and she informed me that because the call center has a limited capacity in dismissing violations that I am sure to get better results in talking with someone on-site.
So the following week, in the middle of a very busy schedule, I found the time to drive over an hour each way to the main facility where I spent a useless hour arguing with three people at the counter (one of which was a supervisor with a very condescending attitude) who didn't care at all for my situation. I found out that they had mailed a notice to an address that I hadn't lived at for FIVE YEARS. I found out that they had NOT updated my current address when I called in with my vehicle information (not that it would have mattered anyway since the Secretary of State sends out violation notices.) I wasted my time, gas and money (four tolls on the way) and got absolutely nowhere but extremely more aggravated. It just didn't matter to these people that their entire system is completely defunct. They stated my only other option was to schedule a hearing at that same location through the Circuit Court of Wheaton where I had to pay a filing fee. This meant that I had to go to the Court in Wheaton, pay for a filing fee, then go to the SAME BUILDING I WAS CURRENTLY STANDING IN to talk to the same people all over again. How can that make any possible sense to anyone on this planet? It is so blatantly clear that this process was structured so that people could not possibly do anything other than pay the settlement costs because the alternative it just impossible.
Having no other REASONABLE recourse, I made the decision to pay the settlement amount the very next day after "visiting" the main I-Pass headquarters and was told that my payment clears my account under the I-Pass Clean Sweep program. Keep in mind, I made the payment with I-Pass/Illinois Tollway, not the Secretary of State who, according to I-Pass, is responsible for violations. Again, I was paying I-Pass for something they claimed they have nothing to do with. Also, keep in mind I actually had until JUNE 30th to pay this amount but chose to pay it that very next day, over a month earlier.
A month has gone by. I received a letter in the mail yesterday dated June 22 from a collection agency recruited by Illinois Tollway stating I owe the tollway over $11,000. How could this possibly be when I had paid the settlement amount and had a payment reference number? I called I-Pass, and surely enough, they have record of payment and the offered settlement and even though they originally told me I have until JUNE 30th to pay this amount. Why, then, is my account being deferred to a collection agency before the CLEAN SWEEP program is even expired and with a full payment on file dated over a month prior? I was told that a form called the "dismissal form" had been submitted to a supervisor but for "some reason" has not been received. I was told another form would then be filled out and submitted to a supervisor. I requested to speak to the supervisor. I was told they're not there and that they'd be back on Monday. Although I tried asking for a name, Tammy would not relinquish a name, refusing to give me the information I needed. She couldn't even verify that the form would get to a supervisor nor would she say the account would be cleared afterwards. She did, however, make sure to tell me that I have an outstanding toll charge on my account for 87 CENTS which, if I didn't pay it, would be subject to further fines.
I informed her that I had about $30 on my I-Pass credit, why won't she just deduct it from there. She stated it was because my I-Pass is closed due to being stolen and they can't take the money from there. I asked if I'll be getting a refund for the credit that's on the account. She informed me I could write a letter to Illinois Tollway (the same place I was calling) to request a refund. Under no circumstances would she dismiss the 87 CENTS from FEBRUARY (4 months ago.) Tammy, because she could not bear to answer my inquries any further, hung up on me and because it was 5:03pm when I called back (after hours on the weekend), my call would not be answered anymore. Why I was not made aware of this charge when I personally visited the site, I can only guess.
Tomorrow, I have to call back and talk to someone actually capable of thinking for themselves and using logic to figure out how to resolve this situation perpetuated by the Illinois Tollway/I-Pass system. If the collection agency does not retract its letter after verifying that I have settled this debt and if they report this to a credit bureau, they are committing fraud under the Fair Credit Reporting Act but what I want to know is why they even have knowledge of this account since it is currently prior to JUNE 30?
I am very sure I am not the only one in reading so many reports of complaints, lawsuits, disgruntled customers, erroneous fines and miscategorizations about this crooked institution whose original goal might have been to assist Illinois motorists but has turned into a corrupted scam that seeks to rip-off wherever possible giving the motorist hardly a method of retribution or option of dispute. It is high-time that action be taken against this faulty company and its intentionally deceptive system of scamming motorists out of their hard-earned money. This cannot continue and I am completely baffled as to why it has not been brought to light and taken action by more powerful entities. I am sure I speak for many when I write that such a day is hopefully soon approaching.
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