The NMA recently filed a letter of complaint with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to reign in unfair rental car fees in her state. The action was triggered by a recent report that Florida rental agencies are charging consumers exorbitant rental fees for toll transponders or equally high “administrative fees” for processing unpaid tolls on behalf of the rental customer.
The NMA’s letter of complaint, shown below, includes a 14-page list of names of concerned citizens from Florida and the rest of the country. “We’re seeing nationwide support for reforming these unfair business practices,” said NMA President Gary Biller. “Many of our members have been stung directly by the monopolistic fees charged by the rental car agencies in Florida. Needless to say, they’ll be taking their tourism dollars elsewhere.”
The NMA’s letter calls on the attorney general to protect consumers from administrative fees up to ten times the actual toll billed to the rental agency. The alternatives for the consumer are to lease an electronic toll pass from the agency at $20 or more a day-a different form of highway robbery-or to make a beeline from the rental car counter to a store that sells preloaded toll transponders, all the while hoping not to pass through a cashless toll area first only to incur the penalty from the rental car company.
“The basic issue here is one of fairness. We hope Attorney General Bondi will take note and act in the best interests of the millions of visitors to Florida each year as well as those of Floridians whose livelihoods depend on robust business and tourism industries in the state,” Biller said.
[gview file=https://ww2.motorists.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/FL-rental-car-company-unfair-business-tactics.pdf]
