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Credit Card Q

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  • 18-02-2011 9:23am
    #1
    MonicaBing
    Registered Users Posts: 611 ✭✭✭


    Mods, i dont know if this is in the correct place please move if not.

    So, we went to Italy in November '09, so far so fun. We hired a car whilst there through Hertz, had no problems except navigating the crazy Italian roads.

    Yesterday, however himself gets not one but 2 registered letters in Italian. Upon translation it appears while in Florence and looking for parking we turned down and drove through 2 limited access streets, now we have 2 fines which have to be paid within 60 days!

    We re frankly gob-smacked and are wondering if after 2 years they have any recourse? Can they take from the credit card used to pay hertz? If we dont pay what happens?Its the length of time that has elapsed that i cant understand, 2 years?

    Any help would be appreciated.


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    #2
    john_cappa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭john_cappa


    MonicaBing wrote: »
    Mods, i dont know if this is in the correct place please move if not.

    So, we went to Italy in November '09, so far so fun. We hired a car whilst there through Hertz, had no problems except navigating the crazy Italian roads.

    Yesterday, however himself gets not one but 2 registered letters in Italian. Upon translation it appears while in Florence and looking for parking we turned down and drove through 2 limited access streets, now we have 2 fines which have to be paid within 60 days!

    We re frankly gob-smacked and are wondering if after 2 years they have any recourse? Can they take from the credit card used to pay hertz? If we dont pay what happens?Its the length of time that has elapsed that i cant understand, 2 years?

    Any help would be appreciated.


    Cant see them being able to chase you up over something so trivial.

    Personally I would cancel the credit card just incase. The will send you out a new one in a few days.


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    #3
    xalot
    Registered Users Posts: 1,092 ✭✭✭xalot


    They are totally within their rights. Got stung for this in Florence myself last year. Apparently there is one street which has a sign saying that you cannot drive down it and people just dont see. I've heard that a person gets charged every 6 seconds for that street (or something bonkers like that).

    Your credit card company wont allow a charge back on it. Got an italian friend to translate our letter and apparently it's legit. The car company will have your passport details and frankly I cant see you getting out of paying it. You could cancel the card but it might come back to bite you in the bum the next time you try to get a rental car.

    Just pay it and take it as a lesson learned.


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    #4
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    16 months has passed since November '09, not two years. Big difference.

    Whether you are liable would be dependent on Italian law and not Irish law (unless you booked the car through Hertz Ireland).

    At first glance, yes you would be required to pay these fines as part of any standard vehicle leasing agreement. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that the Italian authorities and an Italian company would take 16 months to send out these fines to you.

    You are liable for the fines. Hertz cannot charge your credit card for the amounts, but a summary judgement could be made against you and since Italy is an EU country it could result in hassle for you over here, or at the very least it could result in you being arrested the next time you're in Italy.

    I drove into Florence in 2009 and made a point of parking the car under the hotel and leaving it there for our entire stay because of the insane traffic and charges.


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    #5
    NeVeR
    Registered Users Posts: 5,330 ✭✭✭NeVeR


    If they do charge your credit card ring your credit card company and tell them you did not authoirse these payments. You will get refunded.

    But i'm nealy sure they will not charge your CC..

    Hertz might send you a letter saying you need to pay them tho.

    I would not worry about it.


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    #6
    3DataModem
    Registered Users Posts: 3,973 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    Hertz may hit your card (which they are entitled to do) for the fines. However the elapsed time may prevent Hertz from making the charge.


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    #7
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,564 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    NeVeR wrote: »
    If they do charge your credit card ring your credit card company and tell them you did not authoirse these payments. You will get refunded.

    Not true, the OP did actually authorise the transaction as part of the rental agreement, which would have had a clause to cover this
    NeVeR wrote: »
    But i'm nealy sure they will not charge your CC..

    Hertz might send you a letter saying you need to pay them tho.

    I would not worry about it.

    It's been a while since the rental, if the OP has had a new card since then, then might not be able to charge it..


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    #8
    daigo75
    Registered Users Posts: 389 ✭✭daigo75


    Based on art. 201 of Italian "Codice della Strada" (i.e. the Italian road regulations), the notification must be delivered to people living abroad within 360 days, which, however, are counted from the moment the authorities find out the violator's identity.
    In your case, I doubt it could have taken them four months to find out your details, therefore, in my opinion, you could appeal. I'm not a lawyer, though, it's just my point of view.

    In any case, I wouldn't just "forget it", mainly because, if the Italian authorities decide to go on with it, you could find yourself owing much more than the fine.


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