Complaint Review: Illinois Tollway Authority IPASS - Downers Grove Illinois

Flawed System where consumers are forced to pay! I drove the through the IPASS tollway without an IPASS for the 1st week of August 2012, my mother was 1.5hr away from home having surgery for stage 3 colon cancer. I am aware that I needed to pay for the miss tolls, however I did not do this online as I could not remember the Plaza # gates and I had suprassed the 7 day window to do so.

So I decided to physically stop at the Lake Forest Oasis Plaza which has an Illinois State Toll Highway office for IPASS system on 9/18/12 to activate the IPASS I had bought back in January of 2012 and to pay for the 4 tolls I missed the 1st week of August 2012. The attendant was very helpful, we activated the IPASS and I gave her my vehicle information and told her about the miss tolls she took my credit card and charged the $40 for IPASS account balance. I was told that my account and vehicle were in good standing.

FAST Foward one year later, I'm checking my credit report and I have a $287.00 Collection on my credit report for Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for missed tolls in August of 2012. I called ISTHA spoke with a represenatative regarding the situation who not only confirmed that she could see in the system that I was at the Lake Forest Oasis and that I had paid $40 on 9/18/13 and that I had set my account up but she also confirmed that my mailing address on file was missing a digit and they had me listed as Ivanhoe instead of Mundelein, IL. None the less refused to alter this $287.00 collection fee on my credit report or would give me a manager to speak with.

I asked the ISTHA rep how do I have an IPASS and credit card on file to be charged for tolls, yet I being sent into collection and accumulated fees of $200.00 when you have an active credit card on file? The representative was EXTREMELY SASSY, stating thats how our system works...I said I never received a notice in mail for the 4 missed tolls and you confirmed that you had the worng address. I also stated to her I physically visisted the Lake Forest Oasis and spent 1/2hr with an Illinois State Toll Highway representative on 9/18/12 where I actived my IPASS and was told my account was in good standing that the missed tolls were not issue as I have a $40 balance on my account linked with the my vehicle and license plate number. Again, was told our system doesn't update that quickly it takes a few days for someone to see you missed tolls. I went through 4 toll booths from August 3 to August 8th of 2012, I went to the ISTHA Oasis on September 18, 2012 that is almost 6 weeks after the occurance. Again all the ISTHA rep could tell me was our system doesn't update quickly, so basically if you want to pay for missed tolls within a month you don'll allow drivers to do so. So I asked how does your system have the capability to received ONLINE payments within 7days of a missed toll? Your system is updated enough to capture that information, buts its not updated to allow a driver to pay for a tolls missed within 30 days at a physical ISTHA-IPASS location? What about the empolyee on 9/18/12 at the Lake Forest Oasis who confirmed my account was in good standing and that I was update? So because your flawed system of delays, poor employee service and overall ineffecicency I the consumer/driver have to pay for it.

Now mind you if I had received a notice in the mail, I would paid and tried to contest it. However, they had the wrong address and the ISTHA rep today 11/18/13 confirmed they had the wrong address on file but said no mail was forwarded or returned that we can see in our system so you have to pay the full balance of $287.00.

I paid the $287.00 because I do not want a negative remark on my credit report. However, it makes you wonder their system is that delayed and flawed with no ownership of their computer system defficencies and uneffective employees its all about collecting $$$ because this state of Illinois is so broke it doesn't matter.

1>  Wrong Address on File with Confirmation wrong town & missing digit in address CAUSING no notices to be received via mail.

2> 9/18/12 Went to ISTHA - OASiS Lake Forest to pay for missed tolls and active IPASS was told account was in good standing.

3> Have active credit card on account since 9/18/12 that the fees could have been charged to. Instead rather add $200 in late penalty fees for 100 days late even though I made every attempt to pay within 30 days.

Melanie - Mundelein