flakker
05-21-2007, 01:57 PM
I looked at my EZPass statements recently and noticed a problem. Absolutely every time I took my Strom through an EZPass toll here in NH, I was getting overcharged. In one case alone, I was charged $2.70 for going through a $0.50 toll. My statements also show a "Fare type" and "Class (CL)" for each toll. In the case of my car, the Fare Type is always "N" and the CL is always "1". My Strom's Fare Type is always "M" and the CL varies from 2 to 9. I use the same transponder in both vehicles.
I called EZPass (waiting 1 hour on hold) to find out what the problem was and to get my money back. I was told that "N" means "Normal". If you see an "N" listed on a charge, it means that the EZPass was read properly by the signal detectors at the toll both. "M" means "Medium" (?) and means that EZPass had to use some other mechanism to charge you...such as taking a picture of your plate and using Optical Character Recognition to read it. The bigger the Class number, the bigger the vehicle. Under ordinary conditions, a car and motorcycle are supposed to have a CL number of 1. In the case of my afforementioned "9", EZPass determined that my Strom was a tractor trailer and billed me accordingly.
Every single time I took the bike through the toll, I got a green light and a "GO / EZPass" message from the toll both which I have always taken to mean that my transponder was read properly. That clearly is not the case.
The EZPass guy told me that sometimes when people tailgate you, the tolls pick you up as a bigger vehicle and then charge you more. I'd be more inclined to believe that was the case if I always had a Fare Type of "N"...which isn't the case. I'd also be more inclined to believe it if it were sporadic...and it isn't.
My transponder is mounted on my Strom's windshield in the same orientation that it's mounted in my car. However, the result between the two is quite different.
So, I recommend that anyone that takes their bike through a toll (Especially in NH) should look at their statements closely.
I am interested to know where the rest of you mount your EZPasses (or store them on the bike) and whether or not you get overcharged. I wonder if there is a better location/position than others. I'd also be interested to know if anyone is successfully using those EZPasses that were designed to sit outside rather than the inside one I use in both my car and bike.
It would also be interesting to know if this is just the case in NH. EZPass has been in the news quite a bit here lately due to a number of problems that they are having with the system.
I called EZPass (waiting 1 hour on hold) to find out what the problem was and to get my money back. I was told that "N" means "Normal". If you see an "N" listed on a charge, it means that the EZPass was read properly by the signal detectors at the toll both. "M" means "Medium" (?) and means that EZPass had to use some other mechanism to charge you...such as taking a picture of your plate and using Optical Character Recognition to read it. The bigger the Class number, the bigger the vehicle. Under ordinary conditions, a car and motorcycle are supposed to have a CL number of 1. In the case of my afforementioned "9", EZPass determined that my Strom was a tractor trailer and billed me accordingly.
Every single time I took the bike through the toll, I got a green light and a "GO / EZPass" message from the toll both which I have always taken to mean that my transponder was read properly. That clearly is not the case.
The EZPass guy told me that sometimes when people tailgate you, the tolls pick you up as a bigger vehicle and then charge you more. I'd be more inclined to believe that was the case if I always had a Fare Type of "N"...which isn't the case. I'd also be more inclined to believe it if it were sporadic...and it isn't.
My transponder is mounted on my Strom's windshield in the same orientation that it's mounted in my car. However, the result between the two is quite different.
So, I recommend that anyone that takes their bike through a toll (Especially in NH) should look at their statements closely.
I am interested to know where the rest of you mount your EZPasses (or store them on the bike) and whether or not you get overcharged. I wonder if there is a better location/position than others. I'd also be interested to know if anyone is successfully using those EZPasses that were designed to sit outside rather than the inside one I use in both my car and bike.
It would also be interesting to know if this is just the case in NH. EZPass has been in the news quite a bit here lately due to a number of problems that they are having with the system.