Call 4 Action Helps Revere Man Get Toll Charges Reversed For Roads He Never Used
BOSTON (CBS) - Denis DeOliveira of Revere is a collector and one of his favorite antiques is a 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible. He has had the car for 30 years and every year he registers the car and shares it with family and friends for a few weeks in warm weather. At the end of the season, he returns the plate to the registry.
"I picked up the plate in late August and used it a couple of times maybe for 40 minutes to go get ice cream. I never went on the highway," he said.
That's why Denis was stumped in October when he started getting invoices from Pay-By-Plate. The bill charged him $80 for multiple trips over the Tobin Bridge in the Lincoln.
"In all the years I've had it, over 30 years, once it was on the highway. Just once," he said.
He called and even went into a Pay-By-Plate office, but could not resolve the issue. "It was very frustrating because I knew I did nothing wrong," he said.
That frustration only got worse when he discovered the photo snapped by the Pay-By-Plate cameras showed a yellow Jeep with the same license plate number that he had on his Lincoln.
The registry confirmed that only one plate with that number was issued and it was given to Denis for his antique car. At that point Denis went to the police to report fraud, but he still couldn't get the charges reversed.
"I could not get anyone to listen to me," he said. "I thought of Call For Action and I said, 'let me give them a call,'" he said.
When Denis contacted us, we reached out to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. A spokesperson told us they could not explain the discrepancy with the plate, but they did agree to reverse the charges.
"It finally got done, so it's a good feeling," Denis said. "It makes you feel good someone is out there who will help you."
If you have a consumer issue that you need help with, reach out to the I-Team's Call For Action at 617-787-7070, or email us at WBZCALLFORACTION@CBS.COM
