Speeding fine from Spain, from 3 months ago!
Discussion
Hi all,
I wonder if anyone has any experience or knowledge in this area...
My girlfriend just opened the post and it seems we picked up a speeding ticket when we were in Spain on 26 October 2014 (107kmh in an 80kmh zone). The fine is 100 Euros, reduced to 50 if paid before 29 Jan 2015 (20 days from postage date).
Half of me says, it's just £40 get it paid and forget about it. The other half says, hang on a minute, it's taken them 3 months to issue the ticket, surely too much time has passed for it to be worth the paper its written on. And it's from Spain, so what can/will they do about it if I ignore it?
Has anyone been in a similar situation? What did you do? Any advice?
Thanks,
Richard
I wonder if anyone has any experience or knowledge in this area...
My girlfriend just opened the post and it seems we picked up a speeding ticket when we were in Spain on 26 October 2014 (107kmh in an 80kmh zone). The fine is 100 Euros, reduced to 50 if paid before 29 Jan 2015 (20 days from postage date).
Half of me says, it's just £40 get it paid and forget about it. The other half says, hang on a minute, it's taken them 3 months to issue the ticket, surely too much time has passed for it to be worth the paper its written on. And it's from Spain, so what can/will they do about it if I ignore it?
Has anyone been in a similar situation? What did you do? Any advice?
Thanks,
Richard
k alone!!!
"just don't pay it" seems to be some pretty poor advice without further info.
First you need to check if the fine is legitimate, and not an outright scam.
If its legitimate, are you the registered keeper of that car? Are you planning on going to spain ever again? Are you planning on going back in that specific car?
If you're going to drive around Spain in that same car again it would be extremely foolish not to pay £40 now.
First you need to check if the fine is legitimate, and not an outright scam.
If its legitimate, are you the registered keeper of that car? Are you planning on going to spain ever again? Are you planning on going back in that specific car?
If you're going to drive around Spain in that same car again it would be extremely foolish not to pay £40 now.
Hire car? Then yes I'd pay it otherwise the hire company will pay it then chase you.
Your own car? Straight in the bin. Wouldn't even consider paying it.
You won't get any hassle should you return to Spain. I've done it several times and wouldn't hesitate to refuse to pay another one.
Your own car? Straight in the bin. Wouldn't even consider paying it.
You won't get any hassle should you return to Spain. I've done it several times and wouldn't hesitate to refuse to pay another one.
Thanks everyone for your comments, links and advice.
If it is a genuine ticket, of course i will pay it - i don't want trouble in the future for the sake of £40!!
It was a hire car and the photo (whilst very poor quality) does show the correct car & no. plate going into a tunnel at 10:26am, on a motorway about 15 minutes away from Alicante. I've checked the boarding passes for our flights that day and the gate closed at 11:30am and i do remember us being in a bit of a rush so it is very likely that it's genuine.
The thing that gets me is the document itself - it's all in Spanish and seems to be a photocopied photocopy of a photocopy - all in black and white and on very cheap paper.
I assumed if fines were accumulated whilst in a hire car, they were automatically charged to the hirer's credit card and that was that?
If it is a scam, they have the location, time and probably speed about right so they've done a good job but I just can't imagine the authorities sending through something so shabby and expecting any reasonable person to believe it.
I'll investigate further over the weekend. My sister lives in Spain so I'll scan & email both sides and see if she recognises any legitimate markings.
Paying the fine, if it's genuine, is absolutely not a problem (and I'll be grateful it's not much and has no points attached) I just can't stand being a sucker and falling for scams....
If it is a genuine ticket, of course i will pay it - i don't want trouble in the future for the sake of £40!!
It was a hire car and the photo (whilst very poor quality) does show the correct car & no. plate going into a tunnel at 10:26am, on a motorway about 15 minutes away from Alicante. I've checked the boarding passes for our flights that day and the gate closed at 11:30am and i do remember us being in a bit of a rush so it is very likely that it's genuine.
The thing that gets me is the document itself - it's all in Spanish and seems to be a photocopied photocopy of a photocopy - all in black and white and on very cheap paper.
I assumed if fines were accumulated whilst in a hire car, they were automatically charged to the hirer's credit card and that was that?
If it is a scam, they have the location, time and probably speed about right so they've done a good job but I just can't imagine the authorities sending through something so shabby and expecting any reasonable person to believe it.
I'll investigate further over the weekend. My sister lives in Spain so I'll scan & email both sides and see if she recognises any legitimate markings.
Paying the fine, if it's genuine, is absolutely not a problem (and I'll be grateful it's not much and has no points attached) I just can't stand being a sucker and falling for scams....
Given it'll be a templated letter, and the amount of UK registered cars they must be catching, you'd think they'd send it in English.
I don't know if the hire company could just pay it and claw it back without giving you a chance to dispute it first. As what if you say you were at the other side of Spain at the time and that was a cloned plate. Perhaps thats what happens if you just ignore the letter... I've no idea though.
I'm in Portugal and I've seen several people take typical Pistonheads advice and just chuck all the letters in the bin. Then get forced into paying next time they get caught, and by then the fine has increased. And if you don't have the money on you there and then and have already refused to pay, you can expect to be taken to a police station and allowed to use a phone to get someone to come pay and pick you up
I don't know if the hire company could just pay it and claw it back without giving you a chance to dispute it first. As what if you say you were at the other side of Spain at the time and that was a cloned plate. Perhaps thats what happens if you just ignore the letter... I've no idea though.
I'm in Portugal and I've seen several people take typical Pistonheads advice and just chuck all the letters in the bin. Then get forced into paying next time they get caught, and by then the fine has increased. And if you don't have the money on you there and then and have already refused to pay, you can expect to be taken to a police station and allowed to use a phone to get someone to come pay and pick you up
trackdemon said:
KFC said:
Really? For the sake of £40 you're going to risk getting dragged to a police station next time you're in Spain and get pulled over?
What makes you think that would happen?It took them 3 months to read and write my address....
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