Speeding Fines

[felipe]

This is the article from the link above.

Dated 13 August

Some of you may not have seen this report - I didn't until I had my morning coffee, buried in the back pages of the paper from two days ago.......

"It is reported in the press that British holidaymakers visiting Spain and the Canary Islands this summer are being targeted by a clever motoring fines scam.

After their return, hundreds of tourists are finding official looking letters on their doormat demanding 129 Euros (£85) for non-existent parking or speeding fines. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and trading standards officers have received complaints from hundreds of wary travellers. Many more have paid up rather than risk getting a county court judgement against their name as the letters threaten.

Penny Boys of the OFT states "This is a very convincing scam. It's easy to understand how people could fall for this".

The letters display a crest and reference numbers, and claim they are collecting the fines on behalf of the Justice Department. They are sent by Spanish firms posting as official debt collectors called either Drayes, McCree or White.

The OFT is warning holiday drivers NOT TO PAY these fines. To check whether you have committed a driving offence in Spain, you should contact: Direccion General de Trafico, Josefa Valcarcel 28, 28071 Madrid. The telephone no. is: 0034 91 301 8411 or e.mail: buzon.nr@dgtrafico.org

The OFT believes the hoaxers are obtaining the addresses of people with timeshares in the country or those who have visited timeshare presentations and holiday clubs".

If you are going to Spain or the Canary Islands, please be aware of this scam. Have a happy holiday anyway.

[rt21]

I thought the other point that Tandas was making was that the fine came through the hire company.


Richard

[gus-lopez]

Tandas is pointing out that he's been done for speeding & it comes with a photograph of vehicle & reg; plus details of how /when you can pay & discount period. Therefore in his opinion the OP's letters would appear to be a scam.

[cactus jack]

Tandas

What are you trying to say  ??? ??? ???

[Cuddlybill]

tandas,

??? ??? ???

[tandas]

this is definately a scam we had a speeding fine from a hire car in the area it was sent to us in uk it was in spanish and we had to take it to the nearest post office when we came back to spain and pay it and if we did so in a certain time we got a discount. never ever give out any details on line to anyone.  also it had a photograph of the car registration with the time and place of the offence.  First time we have ever been caught out and it was a gantry camera just outside Alicant airport so we didn't know we'd been copped!

[felipe]

If there was indeed an offence.  If you read the link I posted above, this certainly seems to be a scam. Especially as they have not used the correct full name of the person.  What is of as much concern is how they managed to get hold of his details in the first place.  Is someone in the hire company office involved?

[The Sheriff ILLIA.]

Yes the Hire Company as the registered owner of the Car  will have received the original notification  and past the hirers details on - The easiest way is probably to pay the hire company  and get a receipt for the payment - you and the Hire Company know it has been paid then.

We had to do this earlier this year when my Son's car was off the road and he had to hire one.

I bet the offence occured near to the Tunnels  near Murcia ????

[sparkiemike]

 :wave

the car hire company has your credit card details & as part of the contract you agree to be responsible for all fines that may happen during your hire of the car.

the traffic cops go to the hire company who pay the fine using your credit card.

this go for speeding & parking fines.

if in any doubt phone the hire company

:tiphat:

[gus-lopez]

Check with the hire company. If it is official , which I doubt, then they will have to have supplied the info.
Or here ; Direccion General de Trafico, Josefa Valcarcel 28, 28071 Madrid. The telephone no. is: 0034 91 301 8411 or e.mail: buzon.nr@dgtrafico.org

If you e-mail them copy the 2 'speeding ' letters as well !

[felipe]

I think you will find that is a scam.  http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=28962&seen=1

[fitz1954]

Hi All

I have a question that i need help with.  I had a friend stay at my villa in September and he had a wonderful time having not been to our area before.  However in the last month he has received two letters purporting to relate to two separate speeding offences he was guilty of whilst driving over here in his hire car.  It asks for him to provide his account details so a fine of Euro 300 for each offence can be taken.

I may be very lucky that in all my time in my villa in arboleas i havent been caught speeding, however i know from reading this site that some other members have and it always seem to involve police stops and on-the-spot fines.  Am i wrong in thinking this is the norm.  There are no contact details (phone/mail etc) on the two form which are exactly the same equally his name as it appears on his passport and hire care details were not used but rather his shortened nickname which he does not use on official documents.

Can anyone provide guidance/info on whether these are real and if they are how do we confirm contact rather than just giving bank details?  It sounds fishy to me an have told him do nothing until i get members responses - or am i just cynical???

Many thanks for your help