Car rental and tolls on Dolphin Expwy (Miami, Miami Beach: credit card, buying)

[ticu]

I will rent a car from SIXT at MIA for a 9 days.
They told me if I bring my own Sunpass and decline their "sunpass" offer, and then use a non-attended toll road I will be double charged: once on my sunpass and once by SIXT at 10 dollars violation fee for every day of the rental time plus tolls that I incur, as they will get a picture of the car plate from the highway "office" and will bill me (i.e. charge my credit card) later.

Aparently there is no other way of handling this then either:
1. buy their Sunpass service for 37 (week)+14(2 days) = 51 dollars for my 9-day rental
2. waive their sunpass offer and use only highways that are either toll free or that let you pay tolls in cash.

In the second case, my question is: can one still pay tolls in cash on SR 836 (Dolphin Expwy) from SR826 to Miami Beach or this became a cashless toll road too?

[hurricaneMan1992]

Alas, Sunpass has become yet another way car rental companies can "nickel-and-dime" our guests visiting from out of state!

If it's just the Dolphin you need to use, I'd stick with cash tolls. They do still collect cash on the Dolphin (and the Airport Expressway/SR112), as it's part of the last phase that's going to open road tolling. If you're going to west Kendall or down to the Keys, see if you can sign up for the sunpass only for those days you'll actually be using the Turnpike.

[ticu]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

Alas, Sunpass has become yet another way car rental companies can "nickel-and-dime" our guests visiting from out of state!

If it's just the Dolphin you need to use, I'd stick with cash tolls. They do still collect cash on the Dolphin (and the Airport Expressway/SR112), as it's part of the last phase that's going to open road tolling. If you're going to west Kendall or down to the Keys, see if you can sign up for the sunpass only for those days you'll actually be using the Turnpike.

Nope, they want me to either accept their Sunpass for the whole period or not at all so they can charge me the penalty fee of 10 bucks/day for the ENTIRE period if I break my "promise" to not use no-attendant toll lanes and I do use those lanes, for at least once during the rental period.
Now, I will go to the Keys, but I'm going to take SR 836, SR 826 and US1 (I will shun SR 874 as I think taht also became a non-attendant highway).
It would take more time but I really don't see the point to pay 50 dollars for just a few bucks in worth of tolls.

It's very weird to me the "double charge" they said I will incur if I use my on transponder (I was going to buy a Sunpass Mini when I get to Miami). I think they are just trying to scare me into buying their "service".

Anyone experienced similar "treatment" from rental comapnies?

[doggiebus]

I think you must have miss understood or the person you spoke to didn't understand. I just checked Hertz website, it seems all their cars are enrolled in the PlatePass program. $2.50 a day service charge ($10 max for a month, not $10 a day) plus the tolls. So you will pay $10 (if you go through the tolls for 4 days, after that the can't charge you the $2.50 service charge) plus what ever tolls you go through. Just use their program.

[santiago33]

I've used Hertz and Enterprise and both only charged a fee on the days you used tolling.

I further don't understand how if you buy a sunpass, properly load and register it the rental company will charge you anything.

Seriously get a sunpass 2 days in advance, load it and put it on autopay. Get the online account too so you can print receipts. If the car rental company charges you, then you dispute it with your credit card.

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by ticu

I will rent a car from SIXT at MIA for a 9 days.
They told me if I bring my own Sunpass and decline their "sunpass" offer, and then use a non-attended toll road I will be double charged: once on my sunpass and once by SIXT at 10 dollars violation fee for every day of the rental time plus tolls that I incur, as they will get a picture of the car plate from the highway "office" and will bill me (i.e. charge my credit card) later.

Aparently there is no other way of handling this then either:
1. buy their Sunpass service for 37 (week)+14(2 days) = 51 dollars for my 9-day rental
2. waive their sunpass offer and use only highways that are either toll free or that let you pay tolls in cash.

In the second case, my question is: can one still pay tolls in cash on SR 836 (Dolphin Expwy) from SR826 to Miami Beach or this became a cashless toll road too?

Tell them forget it, I'm taking the bus.