"barrier free" M50 toll an absolute money extortion scam

JJGael · 04-08-2017 01:58PM #1

Maybe a strong title for this post but I'm honestly appalled by this terrible system they have in place on the M50.

Now, I don't drive so I never paid much attention to this but recently a friend of mine who lives outside Dublin came visiting and then she found herself with 30 euro (yes, THIRTY) of charges + fines because we passed under the M50 "barrier-free" toll, as they call it.

She came visiting and we drove in the surrounding Dublin area. We went to Dundrum and ended up having to pay 15 euro in tolls just for that.

For her (and me) a "toll" is a gate where a person or machine asks for money so you can go through. Because we didn't see this, we assumed we skipped the tolls. INSTEAD, not only you have no idea you went through a toll, you also have to do research and find out how to pay it, otherwise they send a bill to your house which is DOUBLE the toll fee.

If we knew this is the way it worked we would have used different roads, spent the extra 10 minutes and avoided a 15€ charge.

Is it just me or does this sound like a complete ripoff, a sneaky way to extort money out of clueless visitors? Like, how is someone who doesn't frequently commute around the Dublin area know that there is such a thing and that you need to install an app to pay it? I'd say most people would only find out about it after they get home and have to pay doubled up fees, like my friend did.

amcalester · 04-08-2017 02:00PM

There's massive signs up saying pay before 8pm.

Massive.

magicbastarder · 04-08-2017 02:00PM

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3695143,-6.3781598,3a,75y,215.02h,111.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-Lb92A-LTxIx71iPA2tt_Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

The high horse brigade · 04-08-2017 02:01PM

What rock have you and your friend been living under?

amcalester · 04-08-2017 02:02PM

Troll alert.

vicwatson · 04-08-2017 02:03PM

We also paid €12,000,000.00 to NTR each year for 5 YEARS to put it into state ownership, and they still charge the motorist

theteal · 04-08-2017 02:06PM

I had to check the date on th OP as it read like a zombie thread from a long long time ago

As above. Massive signs everywhere. Must pay more attention when driving.

brownbinman · 04-08-2017 02:06PM

vicwatson wrote: »

We also paid €12,000,000.00 to NTR each year for 5 YEARS to put it into state ownership, and they still charge the motorist

why did you think they wouldn't charge us for it?

HeidiHeidi · 04-08-2017 02:06PM

If you don't have an account it's €3.10 to pass through the M50 toll - not €15, or €30.

And as pointed out above, there are MASSIVE signs in the half-mile leading up to it, and (AFAIR) one or more after you pass through, and it's painted on the road.

Where were ye looking?

Mrs OBumble · 04-08-2017 02:09PM

I'd suggest that your friend catches the bus next time s/he visits Dublin - it sounds like their eyesight isn't good enough for driving any more.

HeidiHeidi · 04-08-2017 02:10PM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'd suggest that your friend catches the bus next time s/he visits Dublin - it sounds like their eyesight isn't good enough for driving any more.

I wouldn't mind but there were 2 of them in the car :eek:

Andy Magic · 04-08-2017 02:14PM

You'll get no sympathy here, the most vocal Irish people are happy to pay tolls on top of the motor tax.. I'm not though

mickoneill31 · 04-08-2017 02:18PM

So you'd prefer the old way op? Queuing for half an hour to get through it.

Collie D · 04-08-2017 02:19PM

vicwatson wrote: »

We also paid €12,000,000.00 to NTR each year for 5 YEARS to put it into state ownership, and they still charge the motorist

Andy Magic wrote: »

You'll get no sympathy here, the most vocal Irish people are happy to pay tolls on top of the motor tax.. I'm not though

Regardless of whether there should be a toll or not the OP's main complaint seems to be that this was some kind of toll by stealth when they really couldn't have failed to notice the signs

Dial Hard · 04-08-2017 02:22PM

Andy Magic wrote:

You'll get no sympathy here, the most vocal Irish people are happy to pay tolls on top of the motor tax.. I'm not though

Nobody likes paying the toll, but it's difficult to be sympathetic towards two people who both somehow managed to miss the plethora of signs both before, at and after the toll.

brownbinman · 04-08-2017 02:24PM

In fairness my wife does the same. She continues driving on sunny day with wipers going, it's infuriating

jack presley · 04-08-2017 02:35PM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'd suggest that your friend catches the bus next time s/he visits Dublin - it sounds like their eyesight isn't good enough for driving any more.

And they should avoid talking to the wallet inspectors when they get there too!

highdef · 04-08-2017 02:57PM

As mentioned, the signs are absolutely massive and if your friend (and to a lesser extent yourself, as you are merely a passenger) did not see them (not just once but multiple times), then I would be wary of being a passenger in future as he/she is obviously driving without due care and attention by being oblivious to impossible to miss unless you're paying absolutely no attention to the road and your surroundings sized signage!
If I was in your position, I certainly would not be very worried about not paying the tolls that are due and would be more interested in my own safety when travelling with my attention deficient friend.

mikeecho · 04-08-2017 03:02PM

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS10AWC5YMA4tz7i5oA--wnck93-L2JmpfPCN5uTdCsTKt1WN61

andekwarhola · 04-08-2017 03:07PM

If you can't see those signs, fcuk knows what other stuff you're not noticing on the roads.

JJGael · 04-08-2017 05:44PM

The sign simply says "pay by 8pm" I'd hardly call it obvious that you have to download their stupid app to pay. I was looking at directions on the map so definitely not looking at signs. You honestly think that someone who's NEVER been through a toll that doesn't have some kind of gate (even with electronic tag) is assumed to know how this works? Then I guess next time you do something for the first time and get it wrong you'd consider it completely fair for everyone around you to laugh and call you an idiot.

If you leave a supermarket and there's a stack of newspapers and a sign saying "pay 3 at the exit" so you grab one but at the exit there's nobody to pay to, nor any machines to pay at and you CANNOT drop the newspaper, so you HAVE to take it home, you'd be completely fine if you got a letter in the post the next day saying you have to pay 6 because you left without paying?

For the person who said it's 3.10 not 15, you clearly haven't read my message or lack basic math skills. It's 3.10 if you pay immediately but if you don't know you have to pay and go home, they send you a bill double that, for a return trip that's 12.20, plus we had to pay a regular 1.90 when going through a regular toll, which comes to a total of 14.10 for a trip to Dundrum.

And I don't understand all this defensiveness, like it's your company you have to defend, what's up with that? YES you do have to pay tolls if you choose to use the roads that have tolls, but this doesn't even give you the choice. And why DOUBLE the fee when they send the bill at home? Also, how is it not capped to a maximum? You're telling me if a tourist comes for the first time to Dublin and takes the wrong road and ends up going under that toll 6 times, they're gonna get a bill of 36.60? You think that's totally reasonable I suppose?

The high horse brigade · 04-08-2017 05:46PM

Once again I ask what rock you've been living under

HeidiHeidi · 04-08-2017 05:49PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3695143,-6.3781598,3a,75y,215.02h,111.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-Lb92A-LTxIx71iPA2tt_Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

There's the big sign (one of them, there's loads) giving you a website, a phone number, and saying "Payzone" which I'm sure if you googled you'd find out handy enough means you can pay in pretty much any petrol station in the country.

It also says, very clearly, "Pay by 8pm tomorrow", so you had all that time to figure it out.

You'd nearly want to be trying not to see all the information.

HeidiHeidi · 04-08-2017 05:51PM

JJGael wrote: »

The sign simply says "pay by 8pm" I'd hardly call it obvious that you have to download their stupid app to pay. I was looking at directions on the map so definitely not looking at signs. You honestly think that someone who's NEVER been through a toll that doesn't have some kind of gate (even with electronic tag) is assumed to know how this works? Then I guess next time you do something for the first time and get it wrong you'd consider it completely fair for everyone around you to laugh and call you an idiot.

If you leave a supermarket and there's a stack of newspapers and a sign saying "pay 3 at the exit" so you grab one but at the exit there's nobody to pay to, nor any machines to pay at and you CANNOT drop the newspaper, so you HAVE to take it home, you'd be completely fine if you got a letter in the post the next day saying you have to pay 6 because you left without paying?

For the person who said it's 3.10 not 15, you clearly haven't read my message or lack basic math skills. It's 3.10 if you pay immediately but if you don't know you have to pay and go home, they send you a bill double that, for a return trip that's 12.20, plus we had to pay a regular 1.90 when going through a regular toll, which comes to a total of 14.10 for a trip to Dundrum.

And I don't understand all this defensiveness, like it's your company you have to defend, what's up with that? YES you do have to pay tolls if you choose to use the roads that have tolls, but this doesn't even give you the choice. And why DOUBLE the fee when they send the bill at home? Also, how is it not capped to a maximum? You're telling me if a tourist comes for the first time to Dublin and takes the wrong road and ends up going under that toll 6 times, they're gonna get a bill of 36.60? You think that's totally reasonable I suppose?

That would be me who said that.

It's 3.10 if you "Pay by 8pm tomorrow". AFAIK you need to not pay for about three or four days before they'll start penalising you (open to correction on that) and quite a while before you'll get a bill in the post. When did you get the bill, compared to when you made the journey?

JJGael · 04-08-2017 05:57PM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

That would be me who said that.

It's 3.10 if you "Pay by 8pm tomorrow". AFAIK you need to not pay for about three or four days before they'll start penalising you (open to correction on that) and quite a while before you'll get a bill in the post. When did you get the bill, compared to when you made the journey?

That is incorrect. The trip was Saturday, got the letter in the post on Tuesday, already with the fine (which doubled the cost) and no prior communication before then. If you don't pay within 1 week they fine you 41 euro extra (for EACH unpaid toll). Yah, pretty reasonable, I'd say.

howiya · 04-08-2017 05:57PM

JJGael wrote: »

The sign simply says "pay by 8pm" I'd hardly call it obvious that you have to download their stupid app to pay. I was looking at directions on the map so definitely not looking at signs. You honestly think that someone who's NEVER been through a toll that doesn't have some kind of gate (even with electronic tag) is assumed to know how this works? Then I guess next time you do something for the first time and get it wrong you'd consider it completely fair for everyone around you to laugh and call you an idiot.

If you leave a supermarket and there's a stack of newspapers and a sign saying "pay 3 at the exit" so you grab one but at the exit there's nobody to pay to, nor any machines to pay at and you CANNOT drop the newspaper, so you HAVE to take it home, you'd be completely fine if you got a letter in the post the next day saying you have to pay 6 because you left without paying?

For the person who said it's 3.10 not 15, you clearly haven't read my message or lack basic math skills. It's 3.10 if you pay immediately but if you don't know you have to pay and go home, they send you a bill double that, for a return trip that's 12.20, plus we had to pay a regular 1.90 when going through a regular toll, which comes to a total of 14.10 for a trip to Dundrum.

And I don't understand all this defensiveness, like it's your company you have to defend, what's up with that? YES you do have to pay tolls if you choose to use the roads that have tolls, but this doesn't even give you the choice. And why DOUBLE the fee when they send the bill at home? Also, how is it not capped to a maximum? You're telling me if a tourist comes for the first time to Dublin and takes the wrong road and ends up going under that toll 6 times, they're gonna get a bill of 36.60? You think that's totally reasonable I suppose?

There are signs warning about the toll prior to the last exit before the toll in both directions. To say you don't have a choice or chance to avoid the toll on the M50 is simply not true.

OldMrBrennan83 · 04-08-2017 05:58PM

This post has been deleted.

bee06 · 04-08-2017 05:58PM

OP, I live outside of Dublin and when I went through the toll first time I knew how it worked. The big signs saying Toll, pay by 8pm etc gave it away to me that there was something here I needed to pay attention to. Ignorance is no defence.

_Kaiser_ · 04-08-2017 06:00PM

JJGael wrote: »

The sign simply says "pay by 8pm" I'd hardly call it obvious that you have to download their stupid app to pay. I was looking at directions on the map so definitely not looking at signs. You honestly think that someone who's NEVER been through a toll that doesn't have some kind of gate (even with electronic tag) is assumed to know how this works? Then I guess next time you do something for the first time and get it wrong you'd consider it completely fair for everyone around you to laugh and call you an idiot.

If you leave a supermarket and there's a stack of newspapers and a sign saying "pay 3 at the exit" so you grab one but at the exit there's nobody to pay to, nor any machines to pay at and you CANNOT drop the newspaper, so you HAVE to take it home, you'd be completely fine if you got a letter in the post the next day saying you have to pay 6 because you left without paying?

For the person who said it's 3.10 not 15, you clearly haven't read my message or lack basic math skills. It's 3.10 if you pay immediately but if you don't know you have to pay and go home, they send you a bill double that, for a return trip that's 12.20, plus we had to pay a regular 1.90 when going through a regular toll, which comes to a total of 14.10 for a trip to Dundrum.

And I don't understand all this defensiveness, like it's your company you have to defend, what's up with that? YES you do have to pay tolls if you choose to use the roads that have tolls, but this doesn't even give you the choice. And why DOUBLE the fee when they send the bill at home? Also, how is it not capped to a maximum? You're telling me if a tourist comes for the first time to Dublin and takes the wrong road and ends up going under that toll 6 times, they're gonna get a bill of 36.60? You think that's totally reasonable I suppose?

For reference for you and your friend OP...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk_5m55oUJ0

But seriously, how did you/your friend miss this?

.. and there's plenty of other signs before it too. If this is a genuine thread then I'd agree that your friend really needs to do something about her observation skills when driving.

HeidiHeidi · 04-08-2017 06:02PM

Oh yes, and what app?

There's a website, a phone number and Payzone - I've never heard of an app!

magicbastarder · 04-08-2017 06:02PM

i still don't get the bit where you drove through the section that has 'TOLL' painted on the road, and 'TOLL HERE' on at least one large gantry sign, and somehow thought you missed the tolls?

"barrier free" M50 toll an absolute money extortion scam

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