TPG staffer mistake story: The rental car misstep that cost me big time
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Today, I want to share one of my own rookie mistakes that ended up costing me when I rented a car.
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Renting a car is always a stressful proposition for me. I've lived in New York and San Francisco for most of my adult life, and most of that time I didn't have a car or really even need to rent one very often. Once the pandemic hit, and I was staying out west at my father's ranch, I've been renting a car more and more often. I do not have personal car insurance, and I've always booked my rentals with my Platinum Card® from American Express to make sure I have primary coverage.
Related: Best credit cards for rental cars
Frankly, I've always worried that an accident might leave me vulnerable to damages that any car I rented caused, but that wasn't what bit me this time.
Related: How secondary insurance works for those without car insurance
It was bridge tolls! I meant to ask the clerk at Hertz in Santa Rosa where I picked up the little economy car about tolls, but they were not very friendly and I totally forgot. No one mentioned it when I checked out either. It would have been nice because there are not only several bridges that require tolls in the Bay Area, but there are an increasing number of toll lanes now as well.
I had to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, and I realized there was no way to pay cash for the $8 toll as I approached San Francisco after crossing the famed bridge. It's FasTrak only on the Golden Gate (in fact, right now because of COVID-19, no Bay Area bridges are accepting cash). That's when I realized I was likely to be getting a ticket or charged a fee of some kind.
A system of cameras tracks license plates as they cross the bridge, and sure enough a few days later, I got an alert from American Express that a charge was added to my card. Instead of the $7.70 if I had used FasTrak, however, it was a whopping $29.30!
That's a more than 300% increase. Ouch.
I tried to figure out how the company that services tolls and tickets came up with that number, but I could not for the life of me figure out the website.
The third-party company that does the charge is called ATS and here is how they describe themselves:
"ATS Processing Services, LLC is an affiliate of American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (www.atsol.com), a leading provider of traffic safety, mobility and compliance solutions for state and local governments, commercial fleets and rental car companies. ATS' products include: photo-enforcement programs, electronic toll enforcement management, violation processing services, fleet violation management, and fleet title and registration services (www.atsol.com/solutions)."
I tried multiple ways to track my bill with absolutely no luck no matter how I tried to input the data.
Hertz does have a way to escape the most onerous of the up-charges involved in tolls, but it's not exactly easy to find or understand. Their "PlatePass allows you to use cashless lanes or all-electronic tollways without using a personal transponder or paying the toll authority directly."
But as you can see from the image below it doesn't work on some Bay Area roads and express lanes. It also comes with extra fees. Not only will you be charged the toll, but you'll need to pay a $5.95 fee each day that you use it. That can add up quickly. Not as quickly, though, as the extra fees charged by any third party as I experienced.
I really feel like I got ripped off by Hertz in this case. They didn't offer the PlatePass at checkout even though they likely know most drivers in the Bay Area will need to be crossing toll bridges or roads at some point in their journeys. Nor did they tell me some bridges no longer accept cash.
I hope you can learn from my mistake. Be sure to ask your next rental car company about tolls. Sign up for the rental car company's toll program or better yet sign up for the area transponder service in advance. FasTrak, for example, has a special program for rental cars. You can sign up ahead of time and add your rental car. That would have been the cheapest option for me.
Please email your own travel mistake stories to info@thepointsguy.com, and put “Reader Mistake Story” in the subject line. Tell us how things went wrong, and (where applicable) how you made them right. Offer any wisdom you gained from the experience, and explain what the rest of us can do to avoid the same pitfalls.
Feel free to also submit your best travel success stories.
Due to the volume of submissions, we can’t respond to each story individually, but we’ll be in touch if yours is selected. I look forward to hearing from you, and until then, I wish you a safe and mistake-free journey!
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.