Coworker's TDI hit with electronic toll charges AFTER buyback

Coworker just informed me that her TDI wagon that was left at a local dealer here in Dallas a couple of weeks back was just hit with some Zipcash (electronic) tolling charges in the last few days since her buyback. I presume they photographed her plates, which were not removed - mine weren't either, for that matter. I have no doubt she'll be able to get the charges reversed, but what's with people driving these things around town? Are they not being trucked from each dealer to port or an intermodal facility? Half of the photos posted here make the cars look like they're being quarantined. I guess if your car is cherry enough, it's being spun around town with a hot date.

Is it a matter of forgetting to keep the plates, or is it standard procedure in TX to leave them on the car after selling it?

Here in British Columbia, the plates belong to the vehicle owner and can be moved to a different car, so you keep them.

Just like here in California, Texas has an online method to notify the state that the vehicle has changed hands. I'm presuming your co-worker competed this?

https://etag.txdmv.gov/Vehicle/MainTransferNotification.aspx

My buyback specialist surprisingly had the web address handy as part of the process.

I'm betting the plates were stolen, not the car.

Edit: I don't know how Zipcash works, but if it's similar to the Fastrak system we use here, everybody should log on and remove cars / plates they no longer own.

PacCoastFwy923 said:

Just like here in California, Texas has an online method to notify the state that the vehicle has changed hands. I'm presuming your co-worker competed this?

https://etag.txdmv.gov/Vehicle/MainTransferNotification.aspx

My buyback specialist surprisingly had the web address handy as part of the process.

I'm betting the plates were stolen, not the car.

Edit: I don't know how Zipcash works, but if it's similar to the Fastrak system we use here, everybody should log on and remove cars / plates they no longer own.

Click to expand...

I don't believe she had filled out the Vehicle Transfer Notification form - frankly, it's still not well-known that it is a requirement here to do so upon the sale of a car. Nonetheless, it is required.

Apparently, she was told the car was loaded onto a truck on the 1/17, but the toll charges were from 1/18... very curious.

Sometimes dealership employees take cars home, with or without their bosses' blessings, but I highly doubt that's happening with the buybacks, unless it was a buyback employee doing it.

In any case, she has 30 days to submit her release, but obviously sooner results in less complications in instances such as this.

PacCoastFwy923 said:

Sometimes dealership employees take cars home, with or without their bosses' blessings, but I highly doubt that's happening with the buybacks, unless it was a buyback employee doing it.

In any case, she has 30 days to submit her release, but obviously sooner results in less complications in instances such as this.

Click to expand...

That's true. I think she is submitting that form this afternoon, even though it is past the 30-day window.

I understood that vehicles that had been bought back did not become the property of the dealer. If so, how do dealer employees get to drive them around?

It was probably on the truck when it got scanned. Our pay lanes in Atlanta sometimes pick up a car in the next lane over.

Donald

dmarsingill said:

It was probably on the truck when it got scanned. Our pay lanes in Atlanta sometimes pick up a car in the next lane over.

Donald

Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking, as well.

Owner should have notified toll road authority and cancelled the EZTag account. That could have been done online in a few minutes.

Funny this just posted.

I sold my 97 B4 Passat early last year and I just received Bay Area FasTrak charges last month for toll evasion charges for this vehicle.

I had removed the Passat from my FT account and filed DMV release of liability forms immediately following sale.

I was able to straighten this out, but I've confirmed that toll evasion fees are automatically billed to the last registered owner on file. Basically, the new owner never registered the vehicle in his name.

CYA - keep a copy of release/sale documents in a safe place.

"Toll evasion changes" -- interesting.

I used to knowingly drive through Fastrak toll plazas without a transponder because my plates were registered, so I expected they'd get it right. (I shared one transponder between multiple cars.) I was properly billed, and never accused of evading.

On the other hand, the Golden Gate Bridge toll system doesn't require registration, they just send a bill to the registered owner.

Sounds like a miss on both the buyback specialist and the owner's ends. The buyback specialist reminded us to remove our plates and the EZ pass I had already removed. In addition i already removed our texas registration via their website the day of the buyback. The issue probably could have been avoided by those 3 things.

drsven said:

CYA - keep a copy of release/sale documents in a safe place.

Click to expand...

Hmmm... I don't recall the DMV website issuing me a receipt. Maybe they'll mail me something? That would be good, because any Joe could falsely submit a release without me knowing.

I took my Texas plates off and the buyback specialist said I should leave them on. Little did she know I was going to use them on my 1971 Super Beetle.

PacCoastFwy923 said:

Hmmm... I don't recall the DMV website issuing me a receipt. Maybe they'll mail me something? That would be good, because any Joe could falsely submit a release without me knowing.

Click to expand...

I just kept a hard copy of the release form attached to my title.

I know in CA you can file the release online.
Maybe file online and print out a screen shot?

Where we live (in IL) those plates are registered to me, and do not go with the car. Therefore, when I leave the dealer after the buyback, the plates and registration card go with me.

Owner spaced it. I live here in Texas ans Removed the TXTAG sticker and plate on their website weeks before I turned in the car.