TxTag woes... (Burnet: credit card, electric bill, transportation)

[treyk1]

I just posted on yelp a review of TxTag and thought I'd post here for some helpful advice...

I though Txtag was a good idea, signed up for auto-pay and gave them my credit card information, and an invitation to draft from my account at will.
I just recently realized that for a brief period in 2009-2010 the card expired and was declined, and then renewed on auto-pay...$78 went unpaid during that time and apparently was never re-invoiced once the credit card information was updated.
Now they are demanding $1078 or they will refer this to the court. They say there is nothing they can do and that it's been too long. The collections contact Texas Department of Transportation gave me says "leave your ss# (etc.) and will call back"
I called, talked to, and was unable to get TxTag person/ Texas Tollways to work with this, they want all, now. It was an honest mistake and I've had the account in good standing before and after that mishap.
All this time i thought auto-pay was like "fire and forget"...what a mess.
Has anyone else tried to work with TxDot and TxTag on issues like this?
The collections co. still hasn't returned my call as of this posting.
It seems my next step is to beg mercyto the judge?
$78.00 in charges turns in to $1078.00...really?

[justanothercalifornian]

that's utterly ridiculous!

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by treyk1

I just posted on yelp a review of TxTag and thought I'd post here for some helpful advice...

I though Txtag was a good idea, signed up for auto-pay and gave them my credit card information, and an invitation to draft from my account at will.
I just recently realized that for a brief period in 2009-2010 the card expired and was declined, and then renewed on auto-pay...$78 went unpaid during that time and apparently was never re-invoiced once the credit card information was updated.
Now they are demanding $1078 or they will refer this to the court. They say there is nothing they can do and that it's been too long. The collections contact Texas Department of Transportation gave me says "leave your ss# (etc.) and will call back"
I called, talked to, and was unable to get TxTag person/ Texas Tollways to work with this, they want all, now. It was an honest mistake and I've had the account in good standing before and after that mishap.
All this time i thought auto-pay was like "fire and forget"...what a mess.
Has anyone else tried to work with TxDot and TxTag on issues like this?
The collections co. still hasn't returned my call as of this posting.
It seems my next step is to beg mercyto the judge?
$78.00 in charges turns in to $1078.00...really?

Well, to play devils advocate here...you were taking the toll road and knew that you weren't being billed, correct?

I had an auto pay on my tex tag too, and every month when I balance my check book I confirmed the tolls they are taking out. (They pull it out in $20 increments).

For you to run up $78 in tolls and not "realize" for a year that you were using a service you weren't paying for....I mean....you do have some culpability in the matter. If my electric bill was on auto pay and I didn't "notice" that they forgot to charge me for October, then it is MY responsibility to know that. I can't just wait a year later when they take me to collections and say "Oh, i didn't realize you never got your money".

I understand that it is inconvenient to have to follow up and make sure all your bills get paid, but doing that saves you headaches like this.

As far as $78 in tolls magically turning into $1078....I think there are some details you are neglecting to tell us, or that you are unaware of yourself.

Lesson Learned....Balance your checkbook every month. How can someone go on Auto Pay (something I am firmly against, and only did it on TX tag for a short period of time) and not check their bill every month to reconcile payment? How do you know they weren't OVERCHARGING you for tolls for like 8 months in a row? Money is not something you should have a "set it and forget it" mentality about.

Also, I have never had a problem getting TX Tag customer service on the phone for issues, but I don't call them much. I mostly use their website...

Oh well, that's just my take on the situation. I will now duck out of this thread before the rabid anti-toll road people get here and go on a rampage about how toll roads are the end of austin as we know it.

[Seoid]

I know it's aggravating that they never even attempt contact.

My old vehicle and my new vehicle (brand new, mind you) both had unpaid tolls on them. My new vehicle had paper tags and was never on the toll in the 2 days I had it! My old vehicle had a toll tag and I never went on it without the toll tag. Yet here I was with tolls. And I hadn't moved or changed phone numbers- but no notice whatsoever.

I just paid them in order to avoid future issues. Sounds like I was right to do so.


But I also agree with Jay Brown.

You always have to look out for yourself and be fully responsible.

Sorry.

[motherofthree]

Every once in a while they do have those forgiveness days advertised on the news where you can pay the bill minus much of the penalties. Don't know how often they do that though.

[tazbigdog]

But they send you an invoice like once a month!

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by tazbigdog

But they send you an invoice like once a month!

Are you saying you get an invoice from TXTAG or the credit company?

[TexasHorseLady]

If you've got autopay, you get an email every month with a PDF attachment showing you your activity and a link through to your account on their website. If you don't have autopay (or don't have a TxTag, or for some reason your TxTag wasn't read when you went on the tollway - that happens, too, sometimes, and they make a point of saying so all the danged time), you'll get an invoice in the mail, and you'll get an email when your account reaches a certain point that you need to put more money in.

If you don't respond, you get another one the next month. And another one the next month. And another one the next month.

[compSciGuy]

I get an email invoice and have been for years. I signed up so long ago, honestly, I wonder if they would try to snail mail me if I had a balance due. Granted it's on auto-payment, and I don't use the toll roads that often, but could honestly see a situation where the credit card number changes and I might forget to change it, etc.

[timfountain]

Also don't forget you have the option of setting a secondary/backup payment method in your account.

OP - I would visit the TX tag place on Burnett next to Frys in person an see if you can strike a compromise.