Tourists probably didn’t know state issued refunds on tolls

TALLAHASSEE — Florida is a breeding ground for more than mosquitoes. Ripoffs of all kinds thrive here. You name it. Medicare fraud, moving companies or the unlicensed roofer who shows up after a hurricane.

This supposedly tourist-friendly state claims to roll out the red carpet for visitors who are the backbone of our economy, though they do get ripped off, too. In this case, the state came to the rescue, but it’s doubtful that many victims even knew it.

Florida is one of the most competitive markets in the world for rental cars, and companies found a lucrative stream of revenue by overcharging their own customers who drive through highway toll booths without paying.

One reason drivers don’t pay is there’s no one there to take their money.

Toll collectors are going the way of the rotary-dial phone. Like most states, Florida is quickly moving to cashless, automated tolls. So if you didn’t rent a SunPass transponder when you rented your car, you were stuck. You couldn’t pay a toll.

For years, Dollar and Thrifty rental car companies charged Florida customers a fee of $15 every day for not paying tolls. That was in addition to the tolls themselves.

Because many customers rent cars for a week or longer, the fees alone could reach $105. They would show up much later on customers’ credit card bills.

As complaints from irate tourists piled up, the Florida attorney general’s office opened a case in 2010, the last year of Bill McCollum’s tenure (that was three attorneys general ago).

A lawsuit ensued in state court in Jacksonville. The fees mounted, week after week, month after month, year after year, in the state with more toll road miles of highway than any other. Dollar and Thrifty reduced the daily fee from $15 to $10.

In January, two weeks after taking office, Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a settlement with Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group that entitled affected renters to refunds. Dollar Thrifty did not admit wrongdoing and the settlement said the companies acted in good faith.

“I am hopeful that this settlement will provide relief to consumers harmed by the company’s actions and prevent future harm,” Moody said in a statement.

Through a company attorney, Dollar Thrifty did not respond to two requests for comment to the Sun Sentinel.

The settlement got coverage, but it wasn’t front-page news. Moody posted details on her web site on how consumers could seek refunds and at least twice publicized the refund program. To spread the word, the state also reached out and sent letters to the U.S. Travel Association, National Motorists Association and other groups with large memberships.

Moody’s office said it had $500,000 for refunds. For nearly six months, until July 7, the state accepted requests for refunds, some of which are capped at $75.

Claims trickled in from 430 people. More tourists than that probably drive through a single toll booth in Fort Lauderdale or Orlando in the time it takes to read this column.

Kiara Fuller of Providence, R.I., is one of the lucky ones. She said on her claim form that she rented a car for three days in Tampa in 2017 and was hit with a fee of $100.88.

Visit Florida estimates that 112 million tourists came to Florida last year alone. So a heck of a lot more than 430 people rented cars from Dollar Thrifty. The settlement could have required Dollar Thrifty to contact every single aggrieved customer. It didn’t.

The agreement requires Dollar and Thrifty to “clearly and conspicuously” disclose toll fees and the cost of PlatePass, its transponder option, on its web sites, reservation systems, confirmation emails and at rental counters and must explain to customers how they can avoid the charges.

Dollar Thrifty is still charging a fee of $10 a day, and its PlatePass device costs $10.49 a day. The only obvious difference: a big sign explaining those fees is posted at the airport rental counter.

The state should step in and do what’s right on behalf of consumers for a change.

The Legislature should consider a law next session that requires much more consumer-friendly behavior by rental car companies, including a ban on those outrageous administrative fees.

When a case is settled, the company at fault should be required to pay for a public awareness campaign to let people know they can get their money back.

It took Florida nearly a decade to catch up to Dollar Thrifty’s ways. That’s just more proof that visitors and residents alike are desperate for consumer protection. You don’t need a transponder to see that.

ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE The state of Florida belatedly came to the rescue of tourists who were ripped off by rental car companies. But this is truly a story of too little, too late.