Anyone else had an overseas speeding fine arrive in the mail?

[SYD]

Reading through this thread of multiple tickets, what struck me is that almost all of them are from Europe and (surprisingly?) none of them have come from the USA.

They probably give you an on the spot fine - rather than a fixed speed camera and surprise in the mail arrangement.

In Europe, they string speed cameras like Christmas lights....

I got done by a Canadian Mountie with a hairdryer waiting down hill from one of those avalanche tunnels. It was the 1st day with a new rental car and I couldn't find the headlight switch, so couldn't see what speed I was doing in the tunnel. Based on where he was waiting, I suspect he was exceeding is daily quota... At least I could pay it in Vancouver before leaving (it was a long time ago and it was a bit of a run around trying to pay it however...).

 

[jastel]

Just got a Parking Fine from the car park gestapo at a Services type hotel in UK. Apparently I would rather sleep in a Vauxhall for 16 hours than the hotel I had paid for 20 feet away. The hotel obviously did not add my rego to the system.
Hertz paid the fine, 60 pounds for early payment along with a 42pound admin fee...as the fine is "paid" I cant appeal it...but did anyway.
IF they refund the fine I bet they will give it back to hertz who will charge me another admin fee to pay me back....

The fine was MORE than the hotel room as well.

 

[clifford]

Just got a Parking Fine from the car park gestapo at a Services type hotel in UK. Apparently I would rather sleep in a Vauxhall for 16 hours than the hotel I had paid for 20 feet away. The hotel obviously did not add my rego to the system.
Hertz paid the fine, 60 pounds for early payment along with a 42pound admin fee...as the fine is "paid" I cant appeal it...but did anyway.
IF they refund the fine I bet they will give it back to hertz who will charge me another admin fee to pay me back....

The fine was MORE than the hotel room as well.

That's one of the reasons I try not to rent a car in Europe any longer. Parking in the cities is just crazy.

A few years back I rented a car in Barcelona and drove to France, where I got pinged by a fixed speed camera. I don't know how much over the limit I was, as I assumed the limit was 100, but it had been reduced to 80. I had driven that road near Perpignan many times before, so didn't notice the new camera.

Anyway, I'd resigned myself to receiving a hefty fine, but nothing ever eventuated.

 

[SYD]

That's one of the reasons I try not to rent a car in Europe any longer. Parking in the cities is just crazy.

A few years back I rented a car in Barcelona and drove to France, where I got pinged by a fixed speed camera. I don't know how much over the limit I was, as I assumed the limit was 100, but it had been reduced to 80. I had driven that road near Perpignan many times before, so didn't notice the new camera.

Anyway, I'd resigned myself to receiving a hefty fine, but nothing ever eventuated.

The various free map apps are pretty good with warnings for fixed speed cameras (around the world).

But yes, parking everywhere can be a hassle and Euro car parks are always tiny spaces and cramp turns. NEVER accept the comp upgrade to a huge SUV!

 

[Forg]

NEVER accept the comp upgrade to huge SUV!

This! They tried to “upgrade” us to a VW Caravelle in Nice … we rejected, waited ‘til the next day to get a Golf … which was so tight in the parking space I had to crawl out the tailgate after parking. No way the 8-seater van would have fit!!

 

[SYD]

This! They tried to “upgrade” us to a VW Caravelle in Nice … we rejected, waited ‘til the next day to get a Golf … which was so tight in the parking space I had to crawl out the tailgate after parking. No way the 8-seater van would have fit!!

OT, but I was given a massive armoured personnel carrier in the US last year (the alternative was a Mustang like 2 door convertible with luggage space for a toothbrush and a carefully folded pair of socks).

At the time I thought, oh well it’s the US not Europe. Well, I discovered Seattle AVIS downtown has the tightest car park in the US!

I was already running late to get there before closing only to then panic get the truck into the carpark let alone parking the ef’ing thing….

 

[SeaWolf]

My former housemate did receive a speeding fine from Italy as well. I dutifully forwarded it on to him, and the subsequent follow up letters, then the letter from the Australian debt collection agency that they'd passed it on to as well.

 

[RSD]

My former housemate did receive a speeding fine from Italy as well. I dutifully forwarded it on to him, and the subsequent follow up letters, then the letter from the Australian debt collection agency that they'd passed it on to as well.

Sounds like they are serious about these speeding fines!

 

[SYD]

Sounds like they are serious about these speeding fines!

That’s what I was referring at post #12 (re ignoring at your peril - particularly somewhere you intend to go back to.).

 

[JohnK]

My former housemate did receive a speeding fine from Italy as well. I dutifully forwarded it on to him, and the subsequent follow up letters, then the letter from the Australian debt collection agency that they'd passed it on to as well.

Why would an Australian debt collection agency get involved in overseas debt collection?

 

[SYD]

Why would an Australian debt collection agency get involved in overseas debt collection?

Someone paid them or offered to pay them?

 

[Forg]

Someone paid them or offered to pay them?

They might also have bought the debt?
Seems odd to buy that debt off a government agency, but then, it is Italy …

 

[RSD]

Just paid!

 

[SYD]

They might also have bought the debt?
Seems odd to buy that debt off a government agency, but then, it is Italy …

What’s the net return less cost of horses head?

 

[JohnK]

Someone paid them or offered to pay them?

Overseas debt? If I have no intention to return to Italy then I would ignore the debt collector.

Take me to court.

 

[SeaWolf]

Why would an Australian debt collection agency get involved in overseas debt collection?

At a guess I'd say that the Italians "sold" the debt to them. They would have done this in bulk (or have an ongoing arrangement) at a low percentage of the amount owed, simply selling every debt they were owed in Australia to this agency to collect. At that point it becomes a debt owed to the collection agency, who now "own" it.

Debt collection services | business.gov.au

Understand when to consider debt collection services and the different types available.

business.gov.au

 

[Forg]

At a guess I'd say that the Italians "sold" the debt to them. They would have done this in bulk (or have an ongoing arrangement) at a low percentage of the amount owed, simply selling every debt they were owed in Australia to this agency to collect. At that point it becomes a debt owed to the collection agency, who now "own" it.

Debt collection services | business.gov.au

Understand when to consider debt collection services and the different types available.

business.gov.au

While I think it’s unlikely an Italian government agency has sold the debt in this way, my wife had problems with two debt collection agencies after someone ran a red light & put her in hospital for 3 months. He claimed to his insurer that he was not at fault, they took my wife (represented by her insurer) to court & lost … and a year or more later she was summonsed to court again for the same incident, different claimant as the original insurer had sold the debt as part of a bulk debt sale to one of these collection agencies and they were trying it on in court. She & her insurer turned up at court - the debt collection agency did not.
She got yet another letter from yet ANOTHER debt collection agency another two years later, for the same thing, threatening to take her to court if she didn’t pay up. She forwarded it to her insurer & ignored it, never heard more.

These debt collection places pay cents on the dollar, the insurer gets at least some money which is better for them than nothing, and I guess the debt collection agencies stay in business because their threats probably scare enough people so that some of it pays off.

I wonder if it’s less profitable now that so much of the population is more alert for scams these days?