French traffic tickets - can someone explain?
Oct 23rd, 2007, 08:00 AM
#1
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French traffic tickets - can someone explain?
We recently rented a car in France through AutoEurope - a Hertz rental.
We have just received a notice from Hertz that says they are debiting our Visa 20 E for "administration costs". These arose in supplying our name and address to some traffic authority, in relation to a traffic violation.
On the date in question, we did use the car -- but we received no paper ticket nor were we stopped by any policeman.
Is anyone familiar with French ticketing practices? I've never heard of photo-radar in France.
And how should I deal with Hertz? I have written to say we are unaware of any infraction but I doubt that will do much......
We have just received a notice from Hertz that says they are debiting our Visa 20 E for "administration costs". These arose in supplying our name and address to some traffic authority, in relation to a traffic violation.
On the date in question, we did use the car -- but we received no paper ticket nor were we stopped by any policeman.
Is anyone familiar with French ticketing practices? I've never heard of photo-radar in France.
And how should I deal with Hertz? I have written to say we are unaware of any infraction but I doubt that will do much......
Oct 23rd, 2007, 08:12 AM
#3
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A lot of European countries have photo enforcement of traffic laws, including France. There are usually signs around somewhere warning you about it, but you may not see them or they may be fairly small.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 08:14 AM
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oh, unless you suspect Hertz of having a completely fraudulent effort to extort customers of 20 euro for nothing, I wouldn't do anything to Hertz. One usually is not aware of speeding (or at least being caught doing it) until you get the ticket.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 08:15 AM
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This might be a "count your blessings" fine. If you happened to stray into the restricted area in London, for example, you could get socked big. In many US cities the fine you get later for that accidental red light infraction or speed limit issue could be far more than 20 E. I can't think of many moving violations that are under $30.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 08:29 AM
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"I can't think of many moving violations that are under $30."
The € 20 is NOT the actual fine, its just being charge by Hertz to the OP for administrative costs.
She/He will probably receive a notice from the actual French commune about the violation and the appropriate fine.
The € 20 is NOT the actual fine, its just being charge by Hertz to the OP for administrative costs.
She/He will probably receive a notice from the actual French commune about the violation and the appropriate fine.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 08:54 AM
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One would wonder if the French commune sent the ticket and one would ignore it
would that person be at risk of being nabbed if arriving in France by plane from U.S. or by train or road from the U.K.?
that would be the only reason i would pay the fine unless i knew exactly what it was for... and then
would that person be at risk of being nabbed if arriving in France by plane from U.S. or by train or road from the U.K.?
that would be the only reason i would pay the fine unless i knew exactly what it was for... and then
Oct 23rd, 2007, 09:07 AM
#9
The minimum radar ticket in France is 80€ so it isn't that. I would suspect that it is an 11€ parking ticket, with Hertz adding their own fees on top. Every other possible ticket except for a parking ticket (meter not paid) is higher than 20€.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 09:22 AM
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"would that person be at risk of being nabbed if arriving in France by plane from U.S. or by train or road from the U.K.?"
Not the way the French deal with passports at Folkestone and Waterloo. Someone in full Arab costume carrying a Saudi passport in the name of Osama bin Laden would scarcely be noticed by the idle <i> flics </i> who while away their time there.
Not the way the French deal with passports at Folkestone and Waterloo. Someone in full Arab costume carrying a Saudi passport in the name of Osama bin Laden would scarcely be noticed by the idle <i> flics </i> who while away their time there.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 09:50 AM
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Tho not in France, we rented a car in Germany for 3 weeks this past May, in July we received a notice from our auto rental company, can't remember who, that they too had charged our credit card in order to provide rental information to the local authorities as to who the 'rentee' was. It seems we had gotten a speeding ticket via one of the photo cameras. I contacted the company we had rented thru, Gemut, and they said this was standard to be charged a handling fee from the rental company and that we MAY receive a fine from the German government, however, it would be highly unlikely as once they saw it was a 'tourist' they usually do not pursue the issue. So far so good, 3 months later and nothing!
Susan
Susan
Oct 23rd, 2007, 09:56 AM
#13
I'm waiting for just such a note to come in the mail. My husband got zapped by a speed camera in August while we were in France. We knew there were such things because the directions I had printed out by mappy showed one on the autoroute, and we saw it when we passed it. But this camera was on a road I hadn't mapped out before the trip.
What's worse, a few days later we were driving on a different road being very careful of speed, having learned our lesson. A motorcycle passed us, and just as it sped past us, the light from a speed camera zapped us again. We are not positive that it got us rather than the motorcycle, but we think it probably did, that we screened the motorcycle until it was too close to the camera, and that by the time the flash flashed, the motorcycle was long gone.
So we're thinking there might be two tickets in our future. I told my husband I'd happily go back and fight the second one, any time.
What's worse, a few days later we were driving on a different road being very careful of speed, having learned our lesson. A motorcycle passed us, and just as it sped past us, the light from a speed camera zapped us again. We are not positive that it got us rather than the motorcycle, but we think it probably did, that we screened the motorcycle until it was too close to the camera, and that by the time the flash flashed, the motorcycle was long gone.
So we're thinking there might be two tickets in our future. I told my husband I'd happily go back and fight the second one, any time.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 09:59 AM
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If you get a fine for any reason in Holland and dont pay then next time you arrive or leave through Schiphol they will get you! Only good thing is they are nowhere near as high as in France for a small speeding infingement. Talking on your mobile or tailgating is another matter entirely - €130 minimum for those.
If you get stopped by the police they will fine you on the spot. They accept credit cards. Also unlike in France they will not take a foreigners driving licence if you are really speeding. Mine they will take, and if I were going fast enough (hah in a Renault Kangoo I can dream
they will take the car too.
But mostly the fine is done based on a camera and is sent to your home address. I think in the case of car rentals they may even collect the fines from the rental company as the registered owner, and leave it up to them to collect the money from the "rentee".
Unlike in the UK it is the registered owner/holder of the vehicle who pays the fine.
If you get stopped by the police they will fine you on the spot. They accept credit cards. Also unlike in France they will not take a foreigners driving licence if you are really speeding. Mine they will take, and if I were going fast enough (hah in a Renault Kangoo I can dream
they will take the car too.But mostly the fine is done based on a camera and is sent to your home address. I think in the case of car rentals they may even collect the fines from the rental company as the registered owner, and leave it up to them to collect the money from the "rentee".
Unlike in the UK it is the registered owner/holder of the vehicle who pays the fine.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 02:01 PM
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What's Dukey on about?
Now he's finally worked out how to bring me back home with him, the Boss often takes me to France. And - for once - he's absolutely right.
Coming back into Britain at Calais, the UK passport people insist on all sorts of things, like evidence that I've been vaccinated in the previous 24 hours and that I've been as humiliatingly scanned at checkin as if I were a Mars Bar at a supermarket cash desk. Mind you, at least they grin at me and tell Mrs Boss how nice I am (who says immigration officials are all braindead?).
But the idle <i> grenouille </i> passport officials at Folkestone can't even be bothered to acknowledge my existence. So if they don't notice the most adorable (and modest) dog in Europe, there's no way they'd know whether the Boss had been copped at a speed camera.
Now he's finally worked out how to bring me back home with him, the Boss often takes me to France. And - for once - he's absolutely right.
Coming back into Britain at Calais, the UK passport people insist on all sorts of things, like evidence that I've been vaccinated in the previous 24 hours and that I've been as humiliatingly scanned at checkin as if I were a Mars Bar at a supermarket cash desk. Mind you, at least they grin at me and tell Mrs Boss how nice I am (who says immigration officials are all braindead?).
But the idle <i> grenouille </i> passport officials at Folkestone can't even be bothered to acknowledge my existence. So if they don't notice the most adorable (and modest) dog in Europe, there's no way they'd know whether the Boss had been copped at a speed camera.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 03:51 PM
#18
"<i>And how should I deal with Hertz? </i>" You don't need to deal w/ Hertz. The €20 is a quite legitimate charge for Hertz having to process/provide info to the French Authorities.
When/if you eventually receive the ticket/fine has nothing to do w/ Hertz. If you were speeding (and if they do decide to send the ticket) the fine will be well over €20.
When/if you eventually receive the ticket/fine has nothing to do w/ Hertz. If you were speeding (and if they do decide to send the ticket) the fine will be well over €20.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 04:07 PM
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Lest anyone think we are scofflaws:
On the day in question (I checked my diary) we drove via the motorway from Uzes to Sete and back.
In our crummy little Fiat Panda, we had difficulty maintaining the pace of other cars on the motorway. Moreover, the car has a buzzer that sounded whenever one reached 130 kmh, as very occasionally we did.
We drove back to Uzes via Sommieres. I feel certain that we did not park illegally at any time.
So the mystery remains.
Perhaps we will get a ticket in the mail - a first, in 25 years or more of driving in France......
On the day in question (I checked my diary) we drove via the motorway from Uzes to Sete and back.
In our crummy little Fiat Panda, we had difficulty maintaining the pace of other cars on the motorway. Moreover, the car has a buzzer that sounded whenever one reached 130 kmh, as very occasionally we did.
We drove back to Uzes via Sommieres. I feel certain that we did not park illegally at any time.
So the mystery remains.
Perhaps we will get a ticket in the mail - a first, in 25 years or more of driving in France......
