I-Team's Call 4 Action Helps Woman Hit With Extra Charges For Electronic Tolling
BOSTON (CBS) - Ever since Massachusetts switched over to all electronic tolling, officials at MassDOT have been telling drivers E-ZPass transponders are the easiest and the cheapest way to pay tolls.
But it didn't work out that way for Rita Ben-Cherqui of Dorchester. Between driving her son to school in Brighton and commuting to the MetroWest, she pays a lot in tolls, so she keeps a close eye on her account. "I was looking at my account at E-ZPass and I noticed that $240 dollars was taken out," she said.
Since that's about $200 more than she normally contributes at one time, Rita immediately got on the phone to request a refund. "The first call I made, I got no satisfaction," she said.
She called again and again to try to get her money back and while she waited her bills piled up. "I had to borrow money from a friend," she said.
When a month went by and E-ZPass couldn't tell her when they would send a check out, she reached out to the I-Team's Call For Action. "I called you on Monday and I got the check on Wednesday," she said.
A spokesperson from the state told us:
"MassDOT is committed to processing refunds in a timely manner and we appreciate the patience and understanding of customers as we work to fulfill all refund requests."
But Rita believes being patient for a month is a lot to ask. "I paid tax on that money. I work for that money and for the government to say, 'Oh, we don't know when we are going to refund it to you,' that's unacceptable," she said.