[ossiblue]

I hope you don't think I'm being argumentative or trying to defend the toll operation. I'm only trying to point out how it appears that there is a misunderstanding of the situation. I was drawn to the three parts of your OP, below:


"the first time you use them, they send you a bill by mail. When you pay that, that's constitutes acknowledgment that, in the future, you have to proactively log onto their site within a few days and pay." To me, that means you need to set up an account before ever using the toll roads again. You get one "freebie" which is sent by mail and which you pay.

"Three years ago I got the letter in the mail, promptly paid my $9 in tolls. Last year used the 241 and 261 once and thought I just had to wait for the bill. That bill was $232 because I hadn't proactively logged on to pay in time. I got them to knock it down to $30." Here's where I'm trying to make my point. Three years ago, you made your first violation and got the letter. You had your freebie. At that time, you're required to set up an account to avoid further penalties and you would not get a repeat "freebie" letter. Then you had a second violation, last year. Calling them resulted in getting the fees reduced, but you still did not have an account.

"This latest January, being wiser this time, I used the toll roads on one day, the very next day, logged onto the site, set up an account with my name, plate # and cc info." This was your 3rd violation and you still had not set up an account. You then set up an account after the violation. The only time you can set up an account after a violation to prevent future penalties is when it is done after the very fist violation, in your case, three years ago.

And, a subsequent post:

"I created an account 24 hrs after using the road, entered payment info. Plate # on my online account is the same as in their letter to me, yet site says they have no record of my having incurred a toll or vilation. WTF?" My guess is the toll agency only "recognizes" you after you have set up an account. You only become a "customer", whose travel is monitored and eligible for on-line post-use payments once you set up an account. Previously owed amounts are not automatically cross-referenced into your account by license number or any other method. Since you set up your account, you have not used the toll roads thus, no violations are recorded.

Again, I'm not trying to argue, I'm just giving you an outsider's perspective based on what you experienced and what the toll agency has told you. I still believe if you call, you can resolve the issue, much like you did when you got your second violation reduced to $30.