I got a speeding ticket when I was driving a Zipcar but, because of a long processing delay, I have been fined £390 and received three points on my licence.
I was caught driving at 24mph on a road with a 20mph speed limit on 17 October 2021 and Zipcar was notified of the traffic violation on 26 October. The normal procedure is for Zipcar to tell the police who was driving, and to inform them of the traffic violation as soon as possible. However, this did not happen until 3 February this year.
The police usually give you the option of attending a speed awareness course (I had no points on my licence at the time of the offence) if you respond to the notice of intended prosecution within 28 days.
However, because Zipcar took three months to alert the police and myself, I got a large fine and three points. I filled out the form from the police within the required timeframe after they wrote to me.
I have appealed against this punishment since I only missed the deadline because of Zipcar’s delay in alerting the relevant parties. This doesn’t seem fair, and the company has ignored my calls and emails asking for help.
MH, London
Many people see car sharing as the future, but this is not the first complaint I have received about Zipcar and you have paid a high price for its tardiness. It involved a lot of time and stress on your part but you successfully challenged the fine, which was reduced to £90 at a crown court appeal hearing. However, the points stand.
Zipcar has apologised and is offering to refund the £90 and says it will aid your efforts to have the points removed by providing a letter confirming its processing error.
Zipcar says: “Since this incident we have made improvements with the processing of penalty charge notices to avoid any further issues. We also advise all members to drive responsibly, and avoid speeding in any circumstance.”
You are not satisfied with Zipcar’s explanation, not least because the company deducted a £15 processing fee from your account for dealing with the violation. You want that back, too.
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