French speeding notification via car hire company!!

[appletonn]

OK, so it had to happen eventually!!

Spent a week in France in June and today came home to a letter from the car hire company attached to which is a 'Avis de Contravention' from Froggy Plod - bugger!

Car hire company want to charge me 20 Euros for the admin involved but tell me that Plod will be sending me a fine letter direct!

Question is, do I have to pay it and what happens if I don't??

Wouldn't mind, but the poxy Vauxhall Meriva hire car (more like a coffin on castors) struggled to get out of its own way, half the time.

Was an automatic camera on the N137 near La Rochelle - heading back to airport for flight home...

112km/h in a 90km/h - corrected to 106km/h, so not much leaway!

Thanks
Nick

[NugentS]

Ignore it and refuse the 20 euros..

Sean

Just my opinion

[herewego]

I don't think they can charge you if it doesn't say so in your hire contract. If it does, they can probably take it from your credit card.

[mojocvh]

herewego said:

I don't think they can charge you if it doesn't say so in your hire contract. If it does, they can probably take it from your credit card.

No but they will not help you in any way and more likely supply all (your) details to police to cover their backs

MoJo

[pgm]

I take it this was a French registered hire car then?

If not it's a bit worrying!

[WildCat]

appletonn said:

OK, so it had to happen eventually!!

Spent a week in France in June and today came home to a letter from the car hire company attached to which is a 'Avis de Contravention' from Froggy Plod - bugger!

Car hire company want to charge me 20 Euros for the admin involved but tell me that Plod will be sending me a fine letter direct!

Question is, do I have to pay it and what happens if I don't??

Wouldn't mind, but the poxy Vauxhall Meriva hire car (more like a coffin on castors) struggled to get out of its own way, half the time.

Was an automatic camera on the N137 near La Rochelle - heading back to airport for flight home...

112km/h in a 90km/h - corrected to 106km/h, so not much leaway!

Thanks
Nick

They could take it from credit card details if you paid with card via phone. I do not think they can do so if you placed card in the chip/pin machine in person.

They would probably write off to "bad debts" account if you do not pay it. I do not think they would keep sufficient records to bar you from hiring car in future from them for "!forgetting to pay 20 Euro" on return from hols.

As for the fine.. so far France does not have reciprocal ability to penalty point a UK licence. But if you choose not to pay the fine .. (ist marginally less than UK one .. I think - but not sure as we look on radar fixes for location of fixed/mobiles ) und you then get stopped for anything ... they may check records... und it then get a bit

[streaky]

appletonn said:

Spent a week in France in June and today came home to a letter from the car hire company attached to which is a 'Avis de Contravention' from Froggy Plod - bugger!

Choose a different hire company next time .

Most hire companies have standard clauses relating to charges arising post-hire. They will debit your card as a "card-holder not present" transaction.

Streaky

[V8 Archie]

M. l'Owner de Rental-Companie,

Merci beaucoup pour le petit souvenier vous avez sent a moi. Malheuresment, je ne suis pas vais l'achetez parce que je pense que je vais prefer le deluxe version from les gendarmes. Avec luck il a mes points de la speed gun sur la certificate!

Je n'ais pas included votre souvenier avec cette lettre parce que je n'ais pas l'intention de payer les gendarmes l'un ou l'autre. J'espere vous ne vous occupez pas.

Regards, etc...

[havoc]

What letter?

You didn't sign for a letter from France, did you? I'm sure you'd remember if you'd received an important letter from France like that...

[princeperch]

You'll probably get stung for the 20 euros admin fee if they have your card details. Not a great deal about that you can do. It been made clear to me whenever i've hired a van or a car that they will recover admin charges in such a way.

Chuck the letter from the old bill in the poubelle if you ever receive it.

[Wings]

If you intend to travel again, and not just France but any where in the EU, then I would pay it.

[catso]

havoc said:

What letter?

You didn't sign for a letter from France, did you? I'm sure you'd remember if you'd received an important letter from France like that...

Indeed, I got stopped for speeding in France and was fined £200 on-the-spot, some months later I received a letter sent by (French) recorded delivery asking for a further £20. The postman never asked me to sign for it (don't think he understood what it meant). I duly filed it and heard no more.......

[cooperman]

Wings said:

If you intend to travel again, and not just France but any where in the EU, then I would pay it.

Er, why exactly consider the rest of the EU? France, maybe, although it is a very low risk, but the rest of the EU don't have any reciprocal arrangements for citizens of neither France nor other countries, and certainly not with the UK.

[appletonn]

Wow, thanks for the responses!

Hire company already took 20 euros and are telling me to expect fine request from les garcons en bleu!

Wouldn't mind, but to get done in such a stupid manner, when driving such a stupid box on wheels at such a stupidly slow speed - 3 yrs ago I went to Le Mans in my old Porky 964 in convoy and we weren't quite so restrained... M'lud

So either ignore it and change my name the next time I go to France, or cough up 140 Euros..

Hmmm

[andmole]

Send em 140 euros worth of british lamb

[cooperman]

If you want a laugh at their expense, send it in 'Monopoly' money. Just think of their expressions when they open the envelope!

[seanh]

Also you might want to dispute the strange charge on your credit card, could be those Interweb fish thingies we're all being warned about...