I was thus unable to log in and determine whether you had taken payment for the crossing on 28 July. What I cannot understand is why people are not standing up for themselves, when there are many points of incompetence and indeed it is an unjust enrichment, for what service are they truly providing? Could someone please have a look to see if there are any "holes" in it. On 9 Jan 2016 I received by mail a notification from EPCPLC, dated 19 Dec 2015 He then said no you paid on the 8th of Feb for a crossing on the 1st of feb. when i advised this was incorrect he said that the fine is for non payment on the 1st of Feb. i advised quite clearly his letter stated the 8th of Feb and i had never recieved anything regarding the 1st Feb. Will I be fined or should I get away with it seeing as I paid it 2 days later This is my first journey too? The system seems to be extremely clogged. Pay by post: If you really dont like using new technology, then Luddites will feel at home with this err handy pay-by-post option. I did not trust this service, so in order to travel with my disabled husband with anxiety disorders, I then paid for a single journey, not using my account page just so I did not get a fine As yet no explanation or money on my account. Just like many of you I did not pay for crossing. If you want online payments you should set up a system that works. Not received any fine notices since crossing 28th march and 13th April but potentially liable to 140 fine despite being ready to pay. Its not a big problem but nobody knows how to solve itbrilliantI want to pay the fine but when I dont receive my PCN, how could I? They have prepared scripts to cut you down when they are speaking to you. Another confusing element is the use of Londons Congestion Charge logo- the C in a red circle. British citizens are shocked, the foreigners visiting are dismayed by our practice. What the Alex Murdaugh trial says about us Phone them on their number 0300 3000120 and pay the original fee. I have just today received the warning noticea day after my fine which I posted about yest.Ridiculous! Hi Karen YOU REALLY NEED CLEAR SIGNAGE 10 MILES OUT ON BOTH SIDES The only reason we noticed coming back was there were no tolls to pay !! Will they nail us for failing again to pay within 24 hours? hey all wanted to let people know have an account with dart charge for my 18 year old son who worked in dagenham I was OD by 1.00 for 1 day in Dec 15 and the charge could not be paid i had no idea my account had ben cancelled I have called hand written twice with no reply to any of my correspondence Yesterday I received a bill now for 3790 for 14 days even though they had reinstated my account and continued taking money for any charges and crossing used. I had a long trip to make to the East of Germany with no internet access, so was unable to pay online until after midnight on the day following the crossing so potentially I will be issued with a penalty notice. Hi Peter, I pointed out that there is no request for even the date of the crossing to be included when you pay and therefore it is possible to pay. My immediate concern is I too forgot a few months ago, but paid within a few days and subsequently found out first time offenders have 14 days grace. Surely, they cant accept the payment and still issue a fine? I am so angry at myself, I want to pay it online, but it will make no difference now. 0300 300 0120. Oh yes, but will deprive them of millions in lost fine revenue. PDF Charge Certificate - Do Not Ignore - Gov.uk I used the Dartford crossing on 09/08/15 at 1858 totally unaware there was a charge for doing so. Drivers can be fined up to 105 if they don't pay. Hi- Thanks for sending your story. There are other reasons why you could appeal the Dart charge. Anyone know how to write a representation to avoid payment? Very poor signage and lack of information for those who are crossing for the first time. Why I need to pay for some one else? I did not cross bridge since last 4 years but I received fine for crossing in Jan 2015 that day I have part exchanged my car for the fined one so Im owner since 16:00 and crossing was recorded at 13:20. I entered all my details including credit card details and eventually a server error notice appeared on my screen, which I have saved into a word document. I sent them a copy of the reciept and heard nothing more. This was the first time I have used the bridge with the new payment system. We seem to be O.K. Careful about disabled use. Sorry you fell victim to this charge. If you fail to pay them, they add a little on but nowhere near as much as the Crossing. crossed last Friday. Yes what a system we are from spain april gates open no warning no signs may again same september again same we dit not know becourse road works thinking free of charge than in late november recieved 4 finish of not paying we complain Saying where to pay when we recieved the finish we want to go again dartford crossing putting out van online but say can not find we try to phone after many times put nr this nr that etc line go dead i think this is made special to fuck us for the fines ridiculous how the british goeverment try to make money Now we drive around the m 25 to go to suffolk, Hello, Im Italian, I passed under the tunnel Aug. 16, 2015 with my camper and during the transition I was surprised of the lack of toll, (I had been in London in 2013 and we stopped to pay), today December 1, 2015 I get the sanction and I have to pay 35 pounds, wanted to know if everything is correct, if the company is not doing a scam to all the people who do not know that at that point, things have changed. But called to ask asI found out going through the tunnel means I have to pay too (thought you only paid while going through the bridge) but the man I spoke to said I now have to wait to receive a pcn as he cant take the payment. Get back to the methods of natureand pause. After all they have actually had the 5 for my crossing, even if my fat fingers caused me to mistype the number plate. Under my ownership, the . now i received the penalty Charges notice of 35. Clearly looking through the comments and elsewhere on the internet, there are problems with the system. If you would like to make an enquiry regarding your penalty charge notice, please use our Have you seen the section on this article covering a firm called Dartsave? mark, Hi Mark, We are just giving information about the new charging system and are not part of the crossing itself.Please call the crossing info line 0300 300 0120. as sorry, Im not in condition to write well in English myself. Was it the first offence? Find the bit that says Warning: Your session is about to expire due to inactivity. How to Appeal Against a Penalty Charge Notice PCN Fine in UK - THE UK RULES BTW as for cutting crossing times, why did it take me 25 minutes on a Sunday afternoon? Over here from New Zealand this is an utter joke How the hell are we meant to know about this .Have 210 pound of fines to pay Any toll I have ever paid is done at the time. Would a payzone accept my payment now or should I just wait and see? Details of the success of any such actions would be interesting to know. Set an identical reminder for your homebound trip using your home postcode7. Its a French company so all that money being ripped off honest people who are just trying to get from A-B, happy to pay a charge, is going abroad. Hi, I crossed the bridge at around 5pm on Monday 5th Oct. You would think so but I expect the millions in fines looks good on the balance sheet. Thanks, Hi Paul, not sure if you received a reply to your question on the Dartford Crossing, but over the weekend i received notice of a fine for a crossing made in December last year, if you did find out if there was a time limit would you please let me know. Hi. The best way to pay for a Dartford Crossing is to use the official website. . If you use the Dartford Crossing without seeing or understanding the signs, or you see them just fine and then afterwards forget you need to pay, you'll receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) about a week later informing you that you now owe 70, discounted to 35 if you pay within fourteen days - just the same as speeding tickets and other fines. This could leave them open to fines because it has been reported that the smartphone-based payment system cannot handle foreign credit cards. Hi Thanks for your post. I called them and appealed but appeal was rejected and they said my payment will be held it on account of future crossings. Hi Joel Ive just had JBW come round to my house, after visiting my place of work, informing me I now have a CCJ against my name and owe them over 400 from a crossing I made on 6th Jan and paid for on the 8th. Click here to pay online, set up a payment plan or manage your account using our Customer Portal. Otherwise there should be a lane for optional on-the-spot payment, with clear signage, including the amount of the fee! i then used it on the 8th of Feb 2015. What should I do? Hi Sanef who operate the system should cancel these fines, but if not, the adjudicator should do so. I crossed the bridge on 10th August in rented car. They must be making a lot of cash from the new booth-free toll system. The cashless payment system does fail, and motorists are paying the London Congestion Charge by mistake. I havent received a PCN and am worried that I will now have missed the 14 day deadline (albeit without receiving a PCN) and will be charged 70, possibly for each journey. Surely there is a time limit to issuing???? It might be worth the 2.50 gamble on paying or phone them and explain the situation. We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content. Note: Highways England apologises unreservedly for their error. Told that yes the Tags were valid but they were linked to a specific vehicle!!!!! Find a quiet corner and scream very loudly we feel for you! Warn visitors from overseas: With open borders in Europe, many more people will come to visit the UK from overseas whether on holiday or to see friends and relatives. For some FPNs you can get penalty points, for example if you leave your car in a dangerous position. They are practically inviting fraudsters to target people who may not be the most technically savvy to get scammed., Dont pay at any website other than https://www.gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge. :( Thank you. I used the crossing on 2nd and 14th dec and paid the 2.50 each time as requested. 3. The following graphic shows how this smart feature works. I then heard nothing from them until now when I received a final notice of rejection stating I should have known about the charges and my fine has increased to 70. No doubt I will miss a few and then get stung with PCNs! pathetic service ! After numerous attempts to input my details and pay the toll on your abysmal website on 29 June, I gave up and called it in by phone. Is this now common practice? However, I did not pay in the 14 day period for the bridge crossing as I have been on holiday for 3 and a half weeks. The Dart Charge is a fee paid to use the Dartford Crossing between 6am and 10pm. Wed 23 Jan 2019 10:32. Are you wondering whether to pay it or dispute the fine? My wife and I received a fine this week for a return journey, so 70 if paid within 14 days. Its easy to forget if you only use the crossing once in a while and it is very unfair to refuse to take payment before the fine has been issued. If you have lost your PCN number, you won't be able to pay online as you'll need the number to find your fine and pay. Do I expect to receive a hefty penalty or do I still have the chance to pay the normal tariff. I did receive a confirmation email but I couldnt open the attached PDF. To show how easy this is, a fake site has already been built by digital marketing expert Richard Summers. Lets hope the prospect of an inquiry announced today after people power forced it might look at such issues as well. In many circumstances, parking tickets are not enforceable. It says I can appeal this decision to an independent tribunal but I fear the worst and it was lapse into another larger fine. Is this still in practise, Id happily pay the fee but not the fine as I tried to PST and couldnt get through. The penalty charge of 70 will increase by 50% to 105. See my comments below. Im not (its my wifes) so could not agree. no barriers, no man at the tollbooths and I cant remember any sign over there My wife forgot to pay the charge until a day after the midnight deadline its her second time. Let us know and sorry I could not be of more help. Please treat this letter as both my grounds of appeal against any PCN you might issue, and as customer feedback for your operations director. If you dont pay, they send you a Toll Payment Notice, which costs you 5 NZD. Hi Lucy, I am sorry to hear about your experience at the Dartford Crossing you certainly arent alone. However I used the toll a few days ago on a return journey and yet again, same scenario, kids, stress, traffic and I completely forgot. We are in a similar situation. Try appealing to their better nature and when that fails sorry if send the name of the company through and we will add it to our hall of shame or should that be haul or shame! We forgot to pay immediately, as we had a very long journey the other side of the bridge but did pay when we remembered a week later. Now I just have sent an appeal to the EPCPLC and also to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (4) If you have a Santander bank account it is a nightmare trying to use their credit card on line, I would use AMEX but gov.uk dont accept them. The signs were very unclear they say Dart Charge: find us online, pay by midnight tomorrow. Theres no info saying *who* actually has to pay these charges, nor indeed how much they are. Was in a non fault accident, paid 250 excess, other driver has lied and didnt pay a penny as its a company lorry. I have just received a fine notice almost three months since using the crossing. They have asked I pay another 5 or they will charge me the fine of 70 if I delay (aka appeal). I forgot to pay and just was late an hour before I actually made a payment, Really what a scam and stupid way as there are no reminders or anything and they expect you to pay the very same day. I look forward to your reply as soon as possible. You should certainly have a chat with the hire firm and find out their policy. Hi you should get a notice giving you 14 days to pay at the standard tariff for your first offence but if you returned without paying you could get the larger fine. why would I go through that channel when it clearly states 14days grace for first timers and it was paid well within this. I have an auto top up account on my own vehicle, but didnt know I had to pay for hire vehicles. Else good bye 1050. It is a crazy system and amounts to Highway Robbery but they do seem reasonable if you talk to them. My other half and I used the tunnel last year October time as we moved address and was on our way to IKEA. Dart Charge Penalty Charge Notice - Can You Appeal It? - YouTube Find your local Trading Standards office here. Very dodgy the way this business is run, pure money making outfit trying to scam honest people. There is a good chance the PCN wont be sent as you have paid. Was this the first time you have forgotten to pay? Note, things do change and sometimes we do miss things (were only human! I thought this was correct as the PCN was for 70 and I was paying the toll charge of 2.50. What can I do? You probably know this number by heart, but just in case, here are the contact details youll need: The phone number provided is out of service. Would I still get the 14 days grace as this isnt the first time Ive used it but is my first offence? Hi, I had exactly the same experience about 2 days ago.. Vehicles usually pay 2.50 to use the crossing. This will result in many tourists being hit by charges through no fault of their own. A month and a half later now and Ive got a further penalty of 70 because the previous 35 was not received on time. We have one in our family the car is obtained from special suppliers and when we went through it automatically picked this fact up on the Registration. Then they ask for 37.50. I went to London last 11th and I returned on 12th, Ive forgotten to pay both. Heading on holiday can be both exciting and stressful in equal measure, making it easy to forget banal chores such as paying for your trip over or under the Thames Here are some suggestions to help ensure you dont come home to a big fine. Your email address will not be published. MoneyNerd 3.72K subscribers Subscribe 0 Share 2 views 20 hours ago UNITED KINGDOM Try out Just Answer's service -. Be careful not to mix up the letter 'I' and 'O' with the numbers '1' and '0'. This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. Can you please advise on what I should do? The signs, as you say, arent a lot of help for occasional users or visitors from overseas. I have just forgotton to pay a Dart Charge on time, I paid late on line before I received a PCN 10days later I still have not received a PCN,I am told it is in the system,I am now going away for 3 weeks with no access to mail or computer what happens if it arrives tomorrow. Two months later, they want 105 each way with a court demand with no warning (even though they still took the toll charge when I paid online), I am trying to fight it as I contested it but I feel helpless. Unofficial siteswill simply take your money, pocket the admin charge and pay the outstanding toll on the public Dart Charge site regardless of vehicle details. 8. Like this, you get to confirm whether a payment was made or not. Also please consider that the 14 day deadline for should commence on the date of the re-issue, if indeed it has already been issued. This will be a local council PCN, which is received on the spot. Hi, I received today a penalty as I didnt pay the charge when driving in the Dartford tunnel and 2 weeks later using the Dartford bridge. Having a dart behind the commentary box, Ed Sheeran's touching tribute and his selfless act for Bill Lawry. If the system is investigated, they will see we have only ever crossed once, and made one payment. If youre driving to one the South Easts major airports such as Gatwick, Luton, or Stansted theres a good chance youll need to use the Dartford Crossing and its new charging system. Dont know if that helps, and you may not want the stress involved. Just to give you an impression of why I perceive of these regulations and timelines as too strict and unfair, I would like to point out how the road toll is handled in Auckland, New Zealand, where I travelled this spring. Then switch back to manual top-off and again fill out all my new creditcard data to deposit the money. We will continue to press for a change to the information and signage informing motorists how to pay. The email then disappeared from my inbox! The idea being that you pay the Congestion zone charge which you dont use and then get a fine for the unpaid crossing charge. If the former it seems a very good idea, seems one would win all round. Unfortunately, the transplant wasnt to be, and I came back really tired with my head in a very strange place. I think this system is a real scam because it penalize honnest and innocent people. Receipt FJ No 29616281 ref 150522132752022153F7N. The Dartford Crossing charge scam which is so easy to fall for Welcome to England !! Now, I have to ensure that any of our non fleet vehicles using this crossing, has the charge paid. Pay now and it should stop the penalty being sent out. Payment should be made by midnight on the day after your crossing. about my passing through there on 25 Sept 2015. So, all of those people who worked in the booths are no longer needed, but the price has gone up by 150%! 2. the nearest PayZone point to us is 4.9 miles away from me in a direction we never take so if we didnt want or have the ability to pay on line it would be nearly a ten mile round trip thats good for the ozone layer isnt it! Even the call handlers must have dealt with very angry people that they too have lost their ability to be nice on the phone. Your customer service representative told me that the PCN system is automated and that I should therefore have received it already. Husband phoned them up and the guy basically said tough you will have to appeal it. ), so its important that you read the terms of any products that youre considering before you apply. This is the first and only time the vehicle has crossed. I do recognise that has a recent history of making another slightly late payment, but there is no evidence that Dart Charge took that into account when actually issuing this PCN. I set up an account on the 14th April on line, and paid my 10 fee, and since then no money has appeared in my balance page and no confirmation email has been received. Remembered 10 days later so went on website and made a one off payment of 5. This is just extortion. I am worried that the 2.50 I paid on Weds has not been credited to the correct crossing and I will still get a PCN now. Ive added the fact I was distracted because I was on my way to a meeting with Essex social services representing a friend who is applying to adopt. The cost of a van is 3.00, so the system should ask for the correct amount. On the 16th of May 2015 i recieved a letter from them saying i hadnt paid and as it was my first offence would only charge me 2.50. If I do receive a PCN how do I ensure that it is linked to the payment I made? Hi It is still active and should include the second one according to the slightly unclear wording on the official rules.Pay both now and you should be fine. Have France removed their toll booths. The signs are appalling as you can see from our drivers-eye video. Plus, youll have a Dart penalty charge that could be as much as 125. Signs need improving, the C for congestion charge needs to be removed, the silly name needs to be replaced with the recognisable word toll and the deadline for payment needs to be significantly longer. Yet another part of UK democracy where they will take your money as quickly as they can and with penalty clauses but, give it back? Not sure how you would stand legally, but any case would certainly be helped by the fact you had given SANEF the chance to compensate you for equipment that is seemingly not fit for purpose. This is not due to more motorists attempting to avoid payment, but an abject failure of the system to ensure occasional users and foreign visitors know how to pay.