Visitor toll pass success

[Jimmy Mac]

Just signed up thanks to this thread looks a good way to save my usual scrambling for change at tolls.

[ChoppyGirl]

We returned Monday and I have just had a look at the transactions.

We flew into MCO and stayed at Highlands Reserve so the first days tolls were:

Boggy Creek $1.43
John Young Parkway $1.43
Celebration $0.80

We went to St Petes for one night and went via Florida Mall and Premium Outlets on they way back so:

Bayway $0.54

Bay II $0.54
Orlando South $0.80

On the way back to MCO we went to Disney Springs so went direct to the airport from there and was:

Beachline Way $1.93


So $7.47 in total.

It was worth it to sail through the express lane. Normally as we did the camera read the barcode on the rear view mirror and the screen read 'Go Sunpass'

[mick]

Originally Posted by ChoppyGirl

We returned Monday and I have just had a look at the transactions.

We flew into MCO and stayed at Highlands Reserve so the first days tolls were:

Boggy Creek $1.43
John Young Parkway $1.43
Celebration $0.80

We went to St Petes for one night and went via Florida Mall and Premium Outlets on they way back so:

Bayway $0.54

Bay II $0.54
Orlando South $0.80

On the way back to MCO we went to Disney Springs so went direct to the airport from there and was:

Beachline Way $1.93


So $7.47 in total.

It was worth it to sail through the express lane. Normally as we did the camera read the barcode on the rear view mirror and the screen read 'Go Sunpass'

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I have to say that you appear to have been ripped off at j2 off the 417 on to Celebration Avenue if they charged you 80 cents. Tiggers Pal was only charged 54 cents.

Mick

[PrincessShelly]

I used the VTP on our trip in early August. Struggled to spot the little banner with the toll pass staff on our way to the garage because I was expecting something a bit clearer. It took no time for them to setup the pass. We don't deliberately avoid tolls during our stay.

When the final payment was taken it wasn't quite right and I emailed them to let them know (it wasn't a big enough sum to complain) but it appeared we were charged for tolls after we had left the car with Avis and after the time specified on the emails as the cut off time.

I was happy enough with the system so didn't look too closely at the transaction but I would recommend you check them carefully just in case this is a recurring issue.

They never replied to my email.

[bighal]

Originally Posted by minniemam

Good scheme, but would be worried you are advertising you are a visitor to everyone.

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Along with 80%+ of the other road users. If you look hard enough you can tell which cars are hire cars and hence visitor. So no need to add and extra worry.

[bighal]

It won't surprise me if all the toll roads eventually go cashless like the ones down to Miami and this is a precursor to it to get visitors used to collecting the pass. I suspect it could also expand to include Sanford and Tampa at some point in the near future as well. If enough people ask them if they have plans to expand they may do it sooner rather than later.

[ChoppyGirl]

Originally Posted by mick

I have to say that you appear to have been ripped off at j2 off the 417 on to Celebration Avenue if they charged you 80 cents. Tiggers Pal was only charged 54 cents.

Mick

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Cheek - I will demand some compensation!

[mick]

Originally Posted by bighal

It won't surprise me if all the toll roads eventually go cashless like the ones down to Miami and this is a precursor to it to get visitors used to collecting the pass. I suspect it could also expand to include Sanford and Tampa at some point in the near future as well. If enough people ask them if they have plans to expand they may do it sooner rather than later.

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There's already a couple of bits of cashless toll roads in Orlando (off the normal tourist routes) and a couple in Tampa.

sunpass/en/about/whe...eSunPass.shtml

We went to Tampa cruise port a couple of years ago to meet Joan's brother off a cruise and used the Selmon Expressway which was cashless but a very quick way to the port. We new about it though so it only cost us one day's Alamo admin fee - the toll costs themselves were negligible.

Mick

[mick]

Originally Posted by ChoppyGirl

Cheek - I will demand some compensation!

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The trouble is that if you get your 26 cents back as an overcharge they might decide they've undercharged Tiggers Pal and hit their credit card with another 26 cents.

I wouldn't like to be responsible for that

Mick

[CosmicGirl]

Originally Posted by mick

Most Dibbers who live in Florida and some regular visitors do buy their own transponders from the likes of Walmart, Publix etc. You then have to link your car plate with the transponder. That's obviously fine for residents as they always have the same car and live in a Wifi environment so it's easy to link the two. You buy one for say $20 and every time you go through a toll it swipes so much off it. You also get a small discount on the toll fee.

The trouble with a holiday maker buying one is that you have to get to a shop to buy it then go on the web site to link it to your plate before going through tolls.

That's just my summary I think of the experiences of DonnaD and Angelbabe. I'm sure they will correct and expand if they see the posts.

Mick

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I did know all that, thank you. My question was related to your previous posts below where you wrote that it doesn't matter if a transponder is on or off as all the tolls go by plate. If they all go by plate and the transponder is, in fact, useless then I don't understand why they would still be selling transponders. So they must still have some use, right?

Originally Posted by mick

Never seen a transponder in the dozen or more cars I've hired from
Alamo. I don't believe any cars have them except Avis.

As I said in my last post EVERY SINGLE car in Florida works on "toll by plate"

The link in my post #14 explains everything clearly

Mick

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Originally Posted by mick

Indeed - I said a couple of days ago that the Avis transponder was the cause of so much confusion here on the DIBB. As you say every single hire car in Florida works on "toll by plate" and it makes absolutely no difference if it's on or off.

Pay cash everywhere and that's all you pay. Drive through a Sunpass lane without stopping and Sunpass automatically clicks in - doesn't matter if transponder is on or off.

Yes there was a viral thread on here about a year ago about people paying cash but still being charged by Avis. These may have been some isolated cases but few and far between.

I think that the issue from the posted video was the sheer bulk of the transponder getting in the way of the VTP.

Mick

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