RichardHenshall

I assume you mean the toll charges, because if the hire companies put a little thought and effort into the toll payment problem there shouldn't be any need for fines to be issued in the first place.

I also think the average hire company is unlikely to want its cars to be impounded over non-payment of fines.

RichardHenshall

http://algarvedailynews.com/news/483...beyond-october might be the one?

Ingles

If you are a Resident in one of the areas affected by the New Toll Scuts
i.e. A22 A23 A24 A25
You will be entitled to 10 Free Journeys per Month + a 15% Discount on any other trips


http://economiafinancas.com/tag/desc...gens-ex-scuts/

Mike

The Decree is here - http://www.dre.pt/pdf1s/2011/11/22800/0509405100.pdf

MikeJ

Europcar charged me a 30Euro administration fee in Italy for a similar situation (providing the rental driver details to the local administration) - I guess that is about their standard rate.

MikeJ

This raises an interesting point - is it the driver or the vehicle owner that is responsible for the toll (and any consequential penelaties)? As the transponder is attached to the car and hence to a bank account of the owner this suggests that it is the owner who is liable. If it is a rental car then I would guess that the rental company would try an protect itself be ensuring that an "open" credit card is held until after a period of time to allow for any penalties to show up - and who knows how long this will be! The rentor is, in effect, leaving an open invitation to the rental company to dip into their account for (possibly) up to 6 months. I'm not sure I would be particularly happy about that. How trustworthy are all the employees and systems of all the rental companies (particularly some of the small/cheaper ones)? Another hidden additional cost - insurance against fines?
I wish that the rental companies would make clear what their strategy is going to be. As residents or frequent visitors we can probably deal with it. I would be very worried about the holidaymakers who get hit with a substantial charge long after they get home. Will they come again? Will they recommend to their friends? Will there be a stink in the UK press? Will tourism in the Algarve suffer?

Ingles

Will they come again? Will they recommend to their friends?
Will there be a stink in the UK press? Will tourism in the Algarve suffer?[/QUOTE]

NO NO
YES YES

lagosguy

As regards you first question, yes, the hire companies can pass on toll charges via credit cards in the same way as speeding and parking fines. The name of the game will be to try and get the credit card slip off whoever takes your hire car back in. I can close my eyes and imagine a dozen tugs-of-war taking place every minute all across the airport car park. What will happen if each ends up with half a slip: will the credit card companies pay out on it?

Joking aside, of course Algarve tourism will suffer. But I am afraid that the government is being driven by the poilitics of envy and is responding to those who insist that the Algarve must suffer with the tolls in the same way that their areas have. Maybe they will regret their enthusiasm for A22 tolls when the Algarve golden goose catches bird 'flu and stops contributing disproportionately to the national seed cake. Unfortunately, once the chickens come home to roost (end of bird metaphors), it will take a very long time for tourism to recover from the damage that the tolls and the increased IVA on restaurants, hotels and golf will have inflicted on the Algarve.

The only possible saving grace will be if the euro crashes (fingers crossed) and Portugal is forced to reintroduce the escudo. The exchange rate against the northern European currencies will plummet and the Algarve will once again become a cheap holiday. Great for tourism: an absolute disaster for any non-resident who is using their Portuguese property as an investment.

Fredbargate

The Hire car company does not need a slip to charge you.

They will have your card number and many other details supplied with reference to the hire, therefore the charge can be made electronically and it will be up to you to contest it when you see the charge on your statement.

However the hire company will then be able to show evidence to justify the charge so contesting is unlikely to be successful.

lagosguy

Whether the credit card companies will allow a payment to stand under those circumstances will doubtless be tested at quite an early stage. But it won't always be the case that the hire companies will have your credit card details. I have paid in cash when I collected the vehicle and the credit card imprint on the slip was the only record of my credit card details. if I managed to get the slip or destroy it, I would probably be OK. But I am sure that this and other loopholes will be closed in the early stages.

sukitess

The hire companies cant tell you whats happening because they have not been told what to do. Spoke to mine today and they are totally in the dark. We are out next week and because we wont be using the toll road the hire company said there wont be a problem. They are just as disgusted as eveyone else at the lack of information and the latest short notice to start charging.
Tourism will take a dive, just when Portugal needs all it can get. Shame the powers that be cant see this

boobella

this is what happens when a load of local farmers become politicians or mayors

nigel.b

Coming from Ayamonte today I stopped at the border post to see if any info about all this was on display. You can guess the answer (unless I missed something).

If I use the A22 in my PT registered car after Dec 8 without a transponder, what exactly happens? A bill by post? It's my responsibility to go to the Post Office and wave my car registration at them?

Grateful for any guidance!

Fredbargate

I am a little confused here due to the fact that a physical imprint on a Clik Clak machine has not been taken from my card for many years. All deposits and sureties have been taken on an electronic swipe or insert machine, is Portugal that backward?

lagosguy

It depends which company you use. Some of those working out of the car park at Faro Airport are clearly operating on tiny margins and they do actually still use the old swipe machines for credit cards. The posters who insist that the car hire companies should set up toll-collection systems to make life easier for their customers entirely miss the point that the cost of setting up such systems would probably double these companies' running costs and put them out of business.