Speeding ticket in The Netherlands

bigSuzi12 · 04-10-2010 02:02PM #1

While holidaying in Europe this Summer I got clocked in the Netherlands for 110km/h in a 100km/h(Hertz rental car). Just received a speeding ticket for €35 in the post. Hertz gave them my details.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever experienced this and if I should pay or not. If I didn't pay would they be able to get me by going through Hertz? I know I can't get points for it but it might be worth paying it purely for peace of mind.

Also, the fine letter was all in Dutch, so I can't read the terms&conditions. All I can read from it is the fine/cost.

kmick · 04-10-2010 02:04PM

Cancel your current credit card.
Sit Back.
Relax.

DubDani · 04-10-2010 02:16PM

I would recommend to just pay it.

35 Euro is not really worth to go through a lot of hassle. If you don't pay, then Hertz will get a reminder with hefty additional fees from the Dutch, and then they will apply these additional charges with the original fine to your CC in the end. They are covered for this in their T&C that you signed when you rented the car.

And according to a report I read last week from the 1st of January all EU countries will start collecting unpaid fines locally that occured somewhere else within the EU.

cruizer101 · 04-10-2010 02:20PM

I'd say pay it, its only 35 that's not even a nite out like. For the peace of mind I think its worth it.

Our man in Havana · 04-10-2010 02:46PM

Ignore it.

keithclancy · 04-10-2010 03:27PM

Even if you cancel your credit card it'll come off as its a pre-authorised transaction.

If you were in your own car then you'd be grand, once you give your details to a rental company they'll just bill you for it.

Strange that they even sent out the ticket, normally the rental crowd just bill you and then you get a photocopy in the post.

The minimum fine is 80 euros, not 35, is the ticket in English ?

35 euros sounds like Hertz administrative fee for processing the ticket, not the ticket itself.

I'll bet you got it on the A12 on a Trajectcontrole (Average speed camera) hate those damn things

*EDIT* just looked it up and its 40 euros for +10km over the speed limit.

Category 2: trucks, buses and vehicles with trailers.
Categorie Category 1 1 2 2
overschrijding tot en met 4 km/h crossing to 4 km / h € 16,00 € 16.00 € 22,00 € 22.00
overschrijding met 5 km/h exceeded by 5 km / h € 20,00 € 20.00 € 27,00 € 27.00
overschrijding met 6 km/h excess of 6 km / h € 24,00 € 24.00 € 32,00 € 32.00
overschrijding met 7 km/h excess of 7 km / h € 27,00 € 27.00 € 38,00 € 38.00
overschrijding met 8 km/h exceeded by 8 km / h € 32,00 € 32.00 € 43,00 € 43.00
overschrijding met 9 km/h excess of 9 km / h € 37,00 € 37.00 € 49,00 € 49.00
overschrijding met 10 km/h exceeded by 10 km / h € 40,00 € 40.00 € 55,00 € 55.00

MagicMarker · 04-10-2010 03:28PM

It's 35 quid ffs. Just pay it.

briano · 04-10-2010 03:31PM

Pay it.

I was in the same situation, if you don't pay it quickly enough they'll sell your debt to a local debt collector here. When that happened to me they added 100% "Interest and Service Charges" to the original bill

Our man in Havana · 04-10-2010 04:01PM

Debt collectors have no legal standing in Ireland.

What has happened here is Hertz has simply grassed you up and charged you €35 for the privledge. The Dutch cops will file it away in the too hard pile.

911s · 04-10-2010 05:41PM

Similar thing happened to me 3-4 years ago. First thing I noticed was an
unknown charge on credit card statement, which I discovered was for a
Dutch speeding fine which the hire company paid "on my behalf". This is the norm as they are the registered owners. A few months later I received
a very official looking letter from Dutch authorities, but as it was "double dutch" to me I choose to ignore it.Received a second letter and filed it in the round file and have heard no more from them.
Can you imagine if the Irish authorities started sending penalty
notices to other English speaking countries as Gaeilge, I don't imagine
they would get much response. Certainly if I received a fine written in Dutch while still in the country I would feel obliged to translate and understand it and pay the fine, but for all I know the letters I received could have been part of a scam as the hire company had already paid my fine - that's my defence anyway!

Our man in Havana · 04-10-2010 05:46PM

They haven't paid your fine, that is the point. The €35 fee is an admin fee for Hertz to look up your details to forward to the police. It is then up to the cops to chase you if they feel so inclined.

911s · 04-10-2010 05:52PM

I just can't take Dutch cops seriously as I always keep thinking of the
sketch from Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse

mumof2 · 04-10-2010 07:00PM

send me pm of letter if you want, I can translate.

CiniO · 04-10-2010 07:16PM

Make sure it's ticket, and not just a fee from Hertz for giving out your details to Dutch autorities.
If it's the fee for Hertz, they'll probably take it from your credit card which you used for deposit while renting.
The real fine will come later probably (or not).

If it's a fine though, and you won't pay it, then next time you will be in Holland you might have problems. F.E. if they stop you and realise you have some unpaid penalties, they might make you pay on the spot, with big addministratiion charge, or even in the worst case arrest you.

MidlandsM · 04-10-2010 07:21PM

Haddockman wrote: »

They haven't paid your fine, that is the point. The €35 fee is an admin fee for Hertz to look up your details to forward to the police. It is then up to the cops to chase you if they feel so inclined.

+1

and then the rental co will send the cops a made up rental agreement with some ficticious foreigner in spain or the likes.
So, they'll not pay the fine, and they'll scab 35 handy ones of your credit card.:rolleyes:

bigSuzi12 · 05-10-2010 09:58AM

CiniO wrote: »

Make sure it's ticket, and not just a fee from Hertz for giving out your details to Dutch autorities.
If it's the fee for Hertz, they'll probably take it from your credit card which you used for deposit while renting.
The real fine will come later probably (or not).

If it's a fine though, and you won't pay it, then next time you will be in Holland you might have problems. F.E. if they stop you and realise you have some unpaid penalties, they might make you pay on the spot, with big addministratiion charge, or even in the worst case arrest you.

Hertz already scabbed €19 from my credit card last month for administration charges relating to this. The letter I just received is from the Dutch authorities. I'm just gonna pay it for peace of mind. The thing is, it was for 107km/h in a 100 limit. FFS.

keithclancy · 05-10-2010 11:05AM

CiniO wrote: »

Make sure it's ticket, and not just a fee from Hertz for giving out your details to Dutch autorities.
If it's the fee for Hertz, they'll probably take it from your credit card which you used for deposit while renting.
The real fine will come later probably (or not).

If it's a fine though, and you won't pay it, then next time you will be in Holland you might have problems. F.E. if they stop you and realise you have some unpaid penalties, they might make you pay on the spot, with big addministratiion charge, or even in the worst case arrest you.

That only EVER happens if they have your Passport Number.
They don't check our driving license at Immigration

Our man in Havana · 05-10-2010 11:59AM

keithclancy wrote: »

That only EVER happens if they have your Passport Number.
They don't check our driving license at Immigration

+1

This is only an issue with road side stops.

mondeo · 05-10-2010 12:15PM

I heard they castrate people for not paying speeding fines in the Netherlands.. So you better pay it :P

The French tried to make me pay a speeding fine a few months ago but since their scare tactics don't work in Ireland I ignored it and theres feck all they can do about it, their notices loved my shredder

Our man in Havana · 05-10-2010 12:46PM

And a nice new passport number will make doubly sure of no trouble on any return trip.

briano · 05-10-2010 12:48PM

Haddockman wrote: »

And a nice new passport number will make doubly sure of no trouble on any return trip.

At only double the cost of the fine! Bargain!

Our man in Havana · 05-10-2010 01:14PM

The money stays at home that way.

keithclancy · 05-10-2010 01:23PM

Haddockman wrote: »

And a nice new passport number will make doubly sure of no trouble on any return trip.

Don't think that matters, if thats the case Europol would be knackered

A German colleague of mine was held in Schiphol for a number of hours, missing his connecting flight until he coughed up the money in cash.

If they have no way of linking it to your passport then your fine.

edson · 21-01-2013 01:11PM

I just got 2 fines (€50 & €150) from The Netherlands as well, from when I was there back in September!! The thing is, they are in the name of the company I work for (rental car on company business). I already paid an admin fee to Hertz, or rather, they took it from my credit card.

Any tips on what I should do?

mumof2 · 21-01-2013 01:28PM

edson wrote: »

I just got 2 fines (€50 & €150) from The Netherlands as well, from when I was there back in September!! The thing is, they are in the name of the company I work for (rental car on company business). I already paid an admin fee to Hertz, or rather, they took it from my credit card.

Any tips on what I should do?

Slow down!! (Rustig aan doen in Dutch!!);)

seriousely, thats a big fine, the latter one, did you receive a letter or just a ticket to pay?

edson · 21-01-2013 01:43PM

It was an official letter stating when & where the offence took place, how much to pay and by when. There is an English translation of the most important info on the back....

And yes, I agree, slow down!

I really just want to know if I can get away without paying, and without the company getting into too much sh1t! Or do I just man up and pay out? :mad:

inforfun · 21-01-2013 01:58PM

mumof2 wrote: »

Slow down!! (Rustig aan doen in Dutch!!);)

seriousely, thats a big fine, the latter one, did you receive a letter or just a ticket to pay?

Running a red light will set you back €220.
Fines are high in Holland.

Cant find a complete list in English but take it from me, fines here in Ireland feel like handing over a tip compared to the ones in Holland.

ThreeLineWhip · 21-01-2013 02:45PM

The problem with the fragmented law enforcement system in Europe is that penalties are really only effective against the country's own residents.

The Gardai are not going to the bother of sending a €80 fine to someone in Berlin.

mumof2 · 27-01-2013 01:03PM

Seeing as im from Holland and if it happened to me while on hols over there (travel over by car every 2 yrs or so), then I'd pay tbh. But if in England, I cruise away not worried about the speed limit there:D as the roads are soooo good!! (Funny thing, on entering Pembroke or Fishguard and driving on to other side for ferry or tunnel crossing - i rarley see a speed limit sign, so often wondered what the limit actually was

:p)

Marcusm · 27-01-2013 01:32PM

mumof2 wrote: »

Seeing as im from Holland and if it happened to me while on hols over there (travel over by car every 2 yrs or so), then I'd pay tbh. But if in England, I cruise away not worried about the speed limit there:D as the roads are soooo good!! (Funny thing, on entering Pembroke or Fishguard and driving on to other side for ferry or tunnel crossing - i rarley see a speed limit sign, so often wondered what the limit actually was:p)

The UK system is that the driver is supposed to establish the speed limit by reference to the type of road: 70mph for motorways and separated dual carriageways, 30mph for lit up town/urban areas etc. otherwise speed signs indicate special limits (20, r40 etc). Works fine without international drivers! :cool:

Mycroft H · 27-01-2013 01:52PM

Marcusm wrote: »

The UK system is that the driver is supposed to establish the speed limit by reference to the type of road: 70mph for motorways and separated dual carriageways, 30mph for lit up town/urban areas etc. otherwise speed signs indicate special limits (20, r40 etc). Works fine without international drivers! :cool:

It used to work fine here too until they decided in putting speed limit signs everywhere after the km changeover.

Speeding ticket in The Netherlands

Comments