Sunpass for out or towners -how will this work? (Kendall: rental car, rental)

[Eldemila]

I started a thread in regard to the new tolls that go in effect this weekend for the 874 and 878 in the Kendall area. I'm posting this new thread as I didn't want this to get lost in the old as I'm hoping, someone who knows will reply to this general Sunpass question that I can't find an answer for.

I don't know just how they're planning on making some aspects of this work...

Card states:

When you purchase a Sunpass Mini, you must activate it online or by telephone. If you use a cc and open you account before Noon your Sunpass with "typically" be ready to use after 4pm. If you open your account after Noon, your Sunpass will typically be activated by 6am the next morning.

Okay, so, how is this suppose to work for out of towners driving in??? My BIL is driving down from Canada, not sure if they'll use their own car, or a Canadian rental car. So, how the heck do they expect people driving down here to use a Sunpass? Is he suppose to get off at a random exit and go look for a store that sells a Sunpass? And, even if he did, is he suppose to wait to come to our house after 6am the next morning because it won't be activated immediately? And to make people put a minimum of $10 on a card is terrible. Since the SPM is NOT transferable from car to car, if they only use say, $3.00 of it, not only are they stuck paying $5 for the POC, they're also out whatever they don't use AND if they are going to charge a service fee for billing as they say they are, that's another $3.50 on top of everything (for going through the tolls without a activated SP)! It's like throwing money in the garbage!

My friend is driving down in a couple weeks. I told her about the new tolls, since she'll have to pass through them, or take the surface roads, which she would rather not do. Again, she would have to do the same, go find a store, buy a SPM, activate it, wait, etc. It means, she too would have the same issues as above, money down the toilet.

Really, this is ridiculous!

[doggiebus]

I would suggest contacting MDX to get the correct answer. I believe it will be toll by plate. So they would get a notice in the mail, if it will be a fine I don't know. Here are some options for your friend.

1) If you do call MDX and find that they will be fined and have to pay the $3.00 charge I would tell them to just avoid MDX roads all together if possible. Have them take the Turnpike once they get to South Florida or tell them to take the 836 to US1. This way they will avoid MDX roads all together.

2) Option two is you have them purchase a sunpass online or you can mail them one before their trip. This way they will have one when they get here. The sticker one is basically free, as they will get the $4.00 back in a toll credit. Then when she gets home you can scrape the sticker off.

[Eldemila]

Thanks doggiebus (I have to laugh, I call my sister dog lips, among other things)

1)Actually, I believe the fee is $3.50 and they consider it a processing/billing fee, that would be on top of whatever tolls were not paid. They can take the Palmetto to Kendall, it's just going to take longer and after 6 hours of driving, who wants it to take that much longer. Also, not that I'll be living here all that much longer, the Turnpike is actually going cashless as well.

Florida's Turnpike to go cashless as it switches to electronic tolling - Sun Sentinel

By February 2011, all cash collection on the turnpike's southernmost stretch will end. Toll plazas between the Golden Glades and Interstate 595 will be converted the following year. Eventually, the turnpike will be free of toll booths.

Don't fret if you don't have SunPass. Drivers without transponders will be billed later.

2) I don't see anything on the actual Sunpass that states that when you purchase a SP that you get $4.00 back. This may be okay for my friend, but not for my BIL from Canada, especially if he rents a car in Canada - no way will they be able to know the kind of car and the tag number to purchase ahead of time.

I'd like to know if MDX is actually going to bill people from Canada - by the time they process a bill, send it to Canada (postage is more, of course) with an exchange rate - is it really worth the trouble for a visitor?

I'm going to try and find out this information. When/If I do, I'll post it here for others.

It should be quite an interesting weekend on the 878 and 874 this weekend when the tolls go in effect. Personally, as it is, I think they have a lot of nerve to charge for us to drive on these roads, but it's even worse to charge us when they're still doing construction and the traffic is even worse now more than ever. At least wait til they're finished with the construction to charge people to travel on it and have to pay!!!!

[Chelito23]

I was told, but I am not certain this is accurate, that they will be billed by mail. Something like if you have Sunpass you are paying the "discounted rate." Without SUnpass you aren't ticketed, you just pay the full price which is something like 80% more than the Sunpass charge. ANd then ad the billing service charge.

Now, in reality, I doubt they will try to track down out of state and Canadian drivers because how would they know? I bet they could have free rein of the roads if they were here a limited time unless they moved here and had put of state plates for months. When I have driven elsewhere with Flordia plates and run through the equivelent of the Sunpass lanes (by accident), I was never fined or received a bill at a later date. Maybe I was just lucky though, but who knows for sure...any FDOT eployees out there?