South Bay Expressway Another Erroneous Notice of Toll Evasion Payment Request San Diego, California
Just got a letter claiming I evaded a South Bay Expressway toll in early July. $60 penalty which goes up to $102.50 if I don't pay it by early August.
I was at work on the day in question, over a hundred miles from their toll road.
They have my license plate number on the citation, and this is the most glaring evidence that this is a rip off, it's the license plate number for my SCOOTER which I never drive on the freeway.
I will admit that I drive it to the grocery store on occasion, taking surface streets, usually for ice cream.
To me this is clearly a phishing scam judging by the number of recent identical complaints on this website.
I wrote them an email and will call them on Monday when their offices open. If the email and phone call don't resolve this dispute I will send them a letter stating my side of the story and "Request an Administrative Review" as per instructions in the citation.
I will update this report with more details as they arise.
Fight the Power!
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Anonymous
USAResolved
#4Author of original report
Mon, July 18, 2011
I called the South Bay Expressway (619) 661-7070 and a friendly woman on the other end informed me that they had misread the license plate number. Either a machine or human thought a 0 was an 8.
According to many of the earlier rip-off reports, this company used to make you mail them if you wanted to dispute their bogus citations. The later reports show that the company changed it's tune (probably after so many complaints) and now clears up these types of disputes over the phone.
They don't mention this easier phone option on the bogus citation they mail you (why make it easier not to pay them, right?).
I'm glad I didn't have to pay the would-be scammers. Only an investigation into their business practices would prove for sure if these bogus citations were sent out due to faulty technology/human error, as they claim, or if this is a more insidious phishing scheme.
I'm satisfied with the result and would like to thank Rip Off Reports for not sitting by while evil or indifferent businesses take advantage of the little guy.
If someone, a human not a robot, from the South Bay Expressway is reading this I would like to give you one last piece of advice, when your company makes a mistake and acknowledges that mistake you should also offer an apology for the stress and aggravation your mistake caused.
I had to ask for an apology.
Mike
LAKESIDE,California,
U.S.A.
maybe it is a real scam
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, July 17, 2011
could be they send out hundreds of the phony citations and hope most pay rather than the pain in the a*s to fight it.
the whole thing is starting to sound like a scam. ( to bolster their loosing company)
Anonymous
USACitation Number C114865301
#4Author of original report
Sun, July 17, 2011
As it seems that a magical angel of mercy from the South Bay Expressway actually reads these rip off reports and grants reprieve to the rip-offees smart enough to google "South Bay Expressway Scam," write a report and provide their citation numbers, I have decided to update my post above with the pertinent information.
Drum roll...
Citation Number C114865301
I expect the usual form apology and the "Happy to clear things up..." response followed by a hollow explanation about how out of millions of people who use your road there are bound to be some mistakes inputing the license plate numbers yada yada yada.
The fact is you are scamming people.