A Tolling Ordeal

22 Jul A Tolling Ordeal

Dear Here to Help,

I recently drove interstate to visit a family member. I rang the tolling company to check I was still registered with them. I am hard of hearing and they speak very quickly in heavy accents and I couldn’t understand them. Finally, they hung up on me. I tried a couple of times, but it was always the same.

I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford a fine.

Thank you for your query.

Sometimes it can be difficult to communicate with call centre staff, particularly when their performance is measured by how quickly they complete a call.

There are a few options available to you. First, google the road and toll, for example “sydney harbour bridge toll” and you will see a list of who can levy the toll.

(1)   If you download the app, or go online, within 2-3 days of using the toll road, you can usually pay without incurring any additional fees.

(2)   You will also be able to find a complaints email address on the toll operator’s website. You can send them a quick email saying you are trying to pay your toll, but the call centre staff keep hanging up on you and you shouldn’t have to pay any additional fees.

(3)   There is a Toll Ombudsman. Ombudsmen have a great success rate. You can find their details here https://tollingombudsman.com.au/. Just email them and tell them what happened. It doesn’t have to be a long email. They have direct contact with someone senior in the tolling company and usually issues are resolved quickly.

(4)   If you have a smartphone, you can download a toll app which automatically knows when you are on a toll road and charges you the correct amount. That way, you don’t have to worry about dealing with the call centre next time.

This article comes from my column entitled “Here to Help” in Hunter Local, July 2020 https://www.hunterlocal.com.au/. If you have an everyday problem just begging for a simple, real world solution, send it to “Here to Help” and let’s see what we can achieve.

Elaine Abery has a closet full of great ideas and empowering solutions. She’s also the Director of Unravelling Red Tape, a company dedicated to helping everyday people, not-for-profits and companies change the world through improved decision-making and legislation.