The French Interior Ministry informed me that penalties have to be released within a year of the violation, so you’re virtually off the hook. If they were sent by mail by Sept. 15 and also eventually find their way to you, though, you’ll need to determine whether to pay or dispute them.
I ought to keep in mind that a lot of individuals ignore penalties they hop on holiday, but I can not suggest you take that course (though I admit I did check the 1996 extradition treaty between the United States and France and also discovered no references to speeding offenses).
That describes what was expected to happen, however as your exchanges with Europcar program, as well as the authorities at Europcar confessed, points obtained very confusing. The whole procedure got off to a bad beginning last October when Europcar alerted you in French concerning the costs.
That’s their right as a French company, however Europcar informed me its policy is to communicate in English with English speakers. After you obtained your charge card to reverse those charges, the company contacted you in December to seek repayment (once again in French), though, for some confusing reason, they requested for simply 45 euros, not the overall 90 euros you had initially been charged. In January, they began replying to your demonstrations in English, however things quickly obtained weirder.
On Jan. 7, they sent you a complicated»invoice» for «-45 euros, «which turns out to have actually been a credit scores to your account, on top of the cash you had already been refunded by your credit card.
Four days later came an absolutely complicated exchange of messages, including one indicating you owed them 45 euros from before and another in jumbled English that read:»Regarding the invoice 100229951324, the customer support canceled, however after your being rejected you were refunded an amount that you did not pay. » Is there anything Americans can do to avoid troubles with
international leasings? Generally, I suggest favoring business based in the United States, because it is simpler to take care of customer service if something fails after you’re back residence. Jonathan Weinberg, the creator as well as president of AutoSlash, a discount cars and truck rental website, concurs with my methods however, for a various reason. »
The major rental firms have a tendency to act in a much more customer-friendly means,» he stated, describing the acquainted brand names owned by umbrella companies Enterprise, Avis and also Hertz. » They are much more liberal about small damages as well as dings. «Neil Abrams, a long time expert to the rental automobile sector, had one more sensible idea, though it wouldn’t assist with web traffic offenses: Even if you are doubtful of insurance policy add-ons on domestic auto services(maybe due to the fact that
your bank card or very own automobile insurance policy provides some coverage)be less stingy abroad, so you don’t have to spend months looking for documentation to be repaid. «You do not intend to deal with these international government companies and police,» he stated. » It’s just excessive of a discomfort. «Also, make certain to research local laws before you travel( beginning on this State Department web page)as well as soon as you show up, ask residents concerning speed cameras— even in the United States and also locations you’ve been in the past.
For example, in August, New York City began running 750 college area speed cameras 24 hrs a day. As well as the N. Y. P. D. will almost certainly find you much faster than the French.
