Stopped for speeding in Ireland

[bmwmike]

Hi All

Was pulled over for speeding - 88 km/h in a 60 km/h. It was an overtaking lane, and always used to be 100 km/h but whatever, explained that to the officer who stopped me, they asked for my licence, gave it, she did something in her car and returned and said no action this time but watch your speed. Good stuff, thanked her and off i trotted.

I've just today received a fine in the post. They have got my reg wrong.

I go to Ireland a lot, so i'm inclined to pay it, but, i've had dealings with the gardia in the past due to speeding, early 2000's when i lived there, and they are not exactly trustworthy. To pay the fine i have to post off details of my credit card (no online payment!) and if it doesn't get there in 28 days the fine goes from 80 euro to 120 euro, then 160 euro, then prosecution.

I'm minded to contact them and say that registration does not exist at this address and see what they do - they've obviously noted it down wrong, which means they got my address off the license, not via DVLA.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Mike

[Ussrcossack]

It is YOU who was speeding.

Car isn't relevant is it, in all honesty

They have your details

I'd say pay up

[caziques]

So what happens if you don't have a credit card? How do you pay?

Does whatever has been sent to you explain how to defend the charge?

ie is there a way of saying that as you were given nothing at the roadside and the guarantee that no action would be taken, then the Garda are estopped from further action.

Perhaps a request for all the Garda notes from the stop.

The easiest thing is to pay.

[Yellow Lizud]

What!!!!!

No further action will be taken - now send us you credit card details!

Sounds to me like a scam from a bent cop.

Send them a cheque and see what happens, I suspect nothing.
However if the Garda do cash the cheque you are no worse off as you've just paid the speeding fine which you have admitted you deserved.

[bmwmike]

Ussrcossack said:

It is YOU who was speeding.

Car isn't relevant is it, in all honesty

They have your details

I'd say pay up

Inclined to agree, except they said there would be no further action. They are asking me to send them my credit card details with a 'promise' to only take €60 but that they may take €120 if my letter doesn't reach them in time.

caziques said:

So what happens if you don't have a credit card? How do you pay?

Does whatever has been sent to you explain how to defend the charge?

ie is there a way of saying that as you were given nothing at the roadside and the guarantee that no action would be taken, then the Garda are estopped from further action.

Perhaps a request for all the Garda notes from the stop.

The easiest thing is to pay.

I've asked them why the change of heart and also how to pay online. Good point, i received nothing at the time of the stop - the garda didn't even tell me how fast i was going, and i'd genuinely thought it was a 100 zone, and i was doing 88.

Yellow Lizud said:

What!!!!!

No further action will be taken - now send us you credit card details!

Sounds to me like a scam from a bent cop.

Send them a cheque and see what happens, I suspect nothing.
However if the Garda do cash the cheque you are no worse off as you've just paid the speeding fine which you have admitted you deserved.

If i send i cheque i doubt they'll cash it, but even if they did, how do i make sure its the right conversion from GBP (granted, i could just add a few £ to the current exchange rate to cover it).

[Turbobanana]

I'd do something really off-the-wall: ring them and talk to a human. Explain the course of events and hence your concerns and ask them to check the validity of the fine. Admit liability, and be nice.

You may not get off the fine, but you'll know if it's legitimate or not which should give you the confidence to pay.

And do not, under any circumstances, refer to them as the "gardia" as you do in your post: it's Garda, or Gardaí.

[bmwmike]

Turbobanana said:

I'd do something really off-the-wall: ring them and talk to a human. Explain the course of events and hence your concerns and ask them to check the validity of the fine. Admit liability, and be nice.

You may not get off the fine, but you'll know if it's legitimate or not which should give you the confidence to pay.

And do not, under any circumstances, refer to them as the "gardia" as you do in your post: it's Garda, or Gardaí.

That's actually not a bad idea. I'll try it. And.. i'm always nice

As for gardia/garda/gardai - yes, quite right. Thanks for pointing that out.

[bmwmike]

Phoned 'em. Really nice chap at the fixed penalty office said i'd need to phone the actual garda herself and ask why she said one thing, but did another. So i phoned the station where she works, and got through to someone who gave me her shift details. I left a message, and will phone back tomorrow if i don't get an call back. She is just back off her holidays, so i expect she will be busy catching up in any case.

The only additional info i've gleaned is that it was actually a 100 zone but it was a temporary 60 zone due "for some reason, probably due to roadworks i expect". Don't recall seeing any road works or anything indicating a temp zone. Also speaking to the officer directly seems a bit odd, but hey ho, interested to find out.

Edit this is the location: https://goo.gl/maps/dzVTrPn21utGCNmH7 i'm positive, and my wife is also sure too, that there were no roadworks. So it was 100, and i was doing 88. Think i'll argue this one.

Edited by bmwmike on Monday 15th August 15:42

[carl_w]

bmwmike said:

Phoned 'em. Really nice chap at the fixed penalty office said i'd need to phone the actual garda herself and ask why she said one thing, but did another. So i phoned the station where she works, and got through to someone who gave me her shift details. I left a message, and will phone back tomorrow if i don't get an call back. She is just back off her holidays, so i expect she will be busy catching up in any case.

But did they offer any insight on why the only way to pay was to write down your credit card details? Pretty sure that's not a PCI-compliant process.

[bmwmike]

carl_w said:

bmwmike said:

Phoned 'em. Really nice chap at the fixed penalty office said i'd need to phone the actual garda herself and ask why she said one thing, but did another. So i phoned the station where she works, and got through to someone who gave me her shift details. I left a message, and will phone back tomorrow if i don't get an call back. She is just back off her holidays, so i expect she will be busy catching up in any case.

But did they offer any insight on why the only way to pay was to write down your credit card details? Pretty sure that's not a PCI-compliant process.

Yes, they said i can write the credit card details down on the form, take a photo of it with my phone camera, and then email it into their shared mailbox because they know it can be a bit of a pain you know for overseas drivers to send details in by post.

[carl_w]

bmwmike said:

Yes, they said i can write the credit card details down on the form, take a photo of it with my phone camera, and then email it into their shared mailbox because they know it can be a bit of a pain you know for overseas drivers to send details in by post.

You would think the police would be a bit more invested in the security of people's credit card data. Online portal, even automated phone system.

[bmwmike]

carl_w said:

You would think the police would be a bit more invested in the security of people's credit card data. Online portal, even automated phone system.

Yes, but this is the Garda Síochána.

[dundarach]

Hold on, so when stopped in Ireland, you call the actual officer, who, assuming they still want to fine you, you then have to write down your credit card details and email them over?

You're stting me!

[bmwmike]

dundarach said:

Hold on, so when stopped in Ireland, you call the actual officer, who, assuming they still want to fine you, you then have to write down your credit card details and email them over?

You're stting me!

Pretty much. I am phoning the officer directly to find out why she changed her mind about fining me. If i choose to pay the FPN I have to email the details, or can post them not to the officer but a separate department. Neither is particularly good. I may email them a link to a google drive with the completed form, so at least i have some control over it rather than my CC details ending up in a shared mailbox indefinitely. I can also use a spare card and cancel it straight after. Crappy though.


Or... i can just ignore it and see if anything happens. My only concern is they become vindictive when i'm over there, which is quite frequently.

[dundarach]

bmwmike said:

Pretty much. I am phoning the officer directly to find out why she changed her mind about fining me. If i choose to pay the FPN I have to email the details, or can post them not to the officer but a separate department. Neither is particularly good. I may email them a link to a google drive with the completed form, so at least i have some control over it rather than my CC details ending up in a shared mailbox indefinitely. I can also use a spare card and cancel it straight after. Crappy though.


Or... i can just ignore it and see if anything happens. My only concern is they become vindictive when i'm over there, which is quite frequently.

Crackers!

Can you not talk to your bank and ask their advice?

I'd be explaining very clearly in writing, that you're happy to pay (if it comes to it), however you'll not be sending any details in the manner requested and to please advise on alternative means of paying and await their reply.

[Cyberprog]

I hope they don't ask for the CVV on that form!

[stu67]

Ah the Garda works in mysterious ways, it’s all a bit more laid back. Yes you can speak directly to the officer and they are generally very pleasant so I’d do that. A word of warning to anyone going over there are more police on the roads and they are terrors for a mobile speed camera

[bmwmike]

Spoke to the Garda officer lady and she is denying that she said there would be no further action despite both my wife and I hearing that she said it. Not much else I can say, her word against mine.

[Sir Bagalot]

bmwmike said:

carl_w said:

You would think the police would be a bit more invested in the security of people's credit card data. Online portal, even automated phone system.

Yes, but this is the Garda Síochána.

Suffice to say I have received three speeding fines in Ireland. All three are still outstanding.

If you think parts of the British police are corrupt then the Garda bring it to a completely new level

[LunarOne]

bmwmike said:

Spoke to the Garda officer lady and she is denying that she said there would be no further action despite both my wife and I hearing that she said it. Not much else I can say, her word against mine.

You could call her bluff by telling her that you have it recorded on your dashcam, and while you don't have the footage to hand, you could dig it out. Of course, then she may call your bluff. But if she did say it and remembers saying it (while claiming not to), she will likely back down. If she calls your bluff, then you could say you haven't found the footage. I don't how Irish laws work, but I would hope it's not perjury to claim to have footage, since you aren't disputing the speed that they claim you were driving...

Or plot twist - you actually do have a dashcam and footage of her saying no further action!