How do you pay German speeding ticket?
Discussion
Hi Folks, just received a 35EURO ticket in the post from an automatic camera in north-western Germany on 01/02/2011. I was there with work, and will be going back again next Tuesday. My German is no way good enough to read the ticket, but it seems to say it wants paying within one week. This may have already elapsed, as the letter has been sent to me via the hire company.
Is it possible to pay via the UK, or should I wait until I go back? I believe you can pay at any bank in Germany?
Thanks for any help.
Is it possible to pay via the UK, or should I wait until I go back? I believe you can pay at any bank in Germany?
Thanks for any help.
ZAndy said:
Hi Folks, just received a 35EURO ticket in the post from an automatic camera in north-western Germany on 01/02/2011. I was there with work, and will be going back again next Tuesday. My German is no way good enough to read the ticket, but it seems to say it wants paying within one week. This may have already elapsed, as the letter has been sent to me via the hire company.
Is it possible to pay via the UK, or should I wait until I go back? I believe you can pay at any bank in Germany?
Thanks for any help.
If you want to translate the ticket, you could always type the contents of it into this: http://www.google.co.uk/language_tools?hl=enIs it possible to pay via the UK, or should I wait until I go back? I believe you can pay at any bank in Germany?
Thanks for any help.
C
Firstly many Hire Companies on notification of fines pay and reclaim back of the hirer. Have they done this?
Secondly may be of interest to you:
http://www.tiny url.com/65y3pq
The EEC have made the Reg but as far as I am aware UK have not made the corresponding legislation to bring it in. It would therefore appear that Jirmanee do not have the power, as yet, to enforce the fine in UK. BUT, if you are a regular traveller of their roads they may well create a record and if coming to their attention over there the whips may come out.
dvd
Secondly may be of interest to you:
http://www.tiny url.com/65y3pq
The EEC have made the Reg but as far as I am aware UK have not made the corresponding legislation to bring it in. It would therefore appear that Jirmanee do not have the power, as yet, to enforce the fine in UK. BUT, if you are a regular traveller of their roads they may well create a record and if coming to their attention over there the whips may come out.
dvd
Cyberprog said:
Write back in english quoting the reference number and tell them you've not got a clue what they're saying, and to send you the form in English! Worth it for a laugh and to make them earn their 35euros.
I believe they are required to (re-)send the form in the national language of the driver if resident in another EU country.There's a fair chance they'll give up, but the hire company will likely chase you for their 'charges' for handling the initial enquiry.
Cancel the CC used and get a new one is the standard advice.
Streaky
Cyberprog said:
Write back in english quoting the reference number and tell them you've not got a clue what they're saying, and to send you the form in English! Worth it for a laugh and to make them earn their 35euros.
No - write to them in Welsh! Even more fun"Waren Sie der Führer des KFZ?" sounds a bit 1940s...
Some years ago, hire car companies and the local Plod in Menorca had a nice little scam going. Plod would put a ticket on a hire car (they all had distinctive number plates) and tip off the hire company. Of course most tourists would try to leave the island without paying.... But there was a 'discount for prompt payment', so the hire company would immediately pay the ticket at the low rate, then stop the hirer at the airport when the car was returned, saying that the fine had to be paid (at the higher rate) or Plod would be called. The hirer would immediately cough up; the hire company and Plod would split the profit 50:50....
Which was fine until some law-abiding hirer actually paid the fine in person - then the scheme was rumbled!
Another trick if you couldn't find somewhere to park was to pinch someone else's parking ticket and stick it on your own car. Plod would come along, see the ticket and ignore it, then give the other car a (second) ticket. That worked pretty well, I gather - Plod would also get a b
king for ticketing the same car twice!Lord Pikey said:
My german isnt great but a quick scan of that looks like they are just asking you to confirm who you are. I cant see any bank references to pay them on it but i might be mistaken.
There is a 3rd sheet with a bank paying-in form on it.The hire car was through my company, so it remains to be seen if they have applied any charges to the (company) account, and whether my company even notice!
jamoor said:
Send them a cheque for 5 euros together with an invoice for translation services of 30 euros.
No. Send them a bill for the difference. 
Translation of that lot will cost you more than 30 euro!jamoor said:
Personally I would ignore it.
I wouldn't. German plod are very hot on this kind of thing.For the form, you have to:
1. Give your details (I presume you're over 18? In which case you can ignore the last line of q. 1)
Surname, first name, maiden name
Date of birth
Place of birth
Address
2. Give the details of the responsible driver
Surname, first name, maiden name
Date of birth
Place of birth
Address
Driving licence class(es):
Date issued
3. Say whether you were the driver (ja/nein = yes/no)
4. Whether you admit the breach of the law (yes/no): if no, state your reasons
5. At the bottom, state the place and date and sign the document.
Then return the form to Stadt Emden at the address at the bottom. It's quite adamant that you must do this within one week of the document being issued, but since it'll have taken a while to get to you, you might get away with a covering letter saying why it's not back with them within a week.
HTH.
Edited by SGirl on Monday 7th March 16:38
This is what my mate says(He's an englishman living in Germany)
said:
I'll have a good look later, but he should make contact with them in Emden in English ASAP via Email / Fax - translate the text via Google, to be on the safe side and include both languages! A copy of the letter should be attached/included. He has been fined 35 Euros, a form of warning fine. If he ignores it, he could be stopped on his next journey to Germany and the warning status could be lost. To ignore it is not advisable - even waiting until he gets back here to Germany is not a good idea. he has to prove his intention to pay in writing. In Germany, ignorance of the law is not an excuse. There are now new borderless fines in the EU, which means the old myth of hoping they'll forget it, is no longer relevant. Ignoring it: yes, it used to work if you had English number plates, but not with hire cars. The fine, further costs and legal charges could be passed to the DVLA soon. When I have more time, I'll see what I can find in the town of Emden and I'll read the entire letter. Search Google for ''Toytown+Germany'', for posts in forums on this subject. The simplest way out, is to pay the fine via IBAN account number. Request this from Emden, if not on any communication. The person involved can contact me via you. TTFN
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