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Published 10.01.2024

Driving abroad can be difficult at the best of times. There’s the driving on the right, unfamiliar road signs and converting kilometres to miles. But when the holiday’s over, the only thing you expect to bring back are great memories and duty-free goods.

Yet Watchdog has been hearing about a UK-based collection agency which is surprising people with bills for foreign toll road charges they’ve already paid, years after they’ve returned home from their holiday and in some cases even insisting they were driving in sunnier climbs when in fact they were back home in a not so sunny part of the UK.

Andrew is a regular visitor to Portugal, he told us that since 2020, he’s been chased by the collection company ‘European Parking Collection’ or EPC. He first received a letter saying he owed £6 for an unpaid toll fee. It said it was collecting on behalf of the Portuguese toll company Via Livre. Andrew told us that he felt it wasn’t worth disputing the charge.

“We weren't in the country at that time. I just ended up paying the £6 to kind of take it off my back and remove the stress.” He said.

However as he told us, that wasn’t the end of the matter.

“Three years later, they sent me five different letters for five different cars totalling 24 unpaid toll charges.” He added.

Which is odd because Andrew could prove he was at work in the UK when EPC said some of the toll charges occurred in Portugal. He informed EPC that he had evidence of this, but his appeals were rejected. He told us of his dismay.

“The fact that the total charges were over £400 was obviously a significant difference this time. One of the cars is actually alleged to be in the same place as another car that I’m meant to be driving in exactly the same place exactly the same time.”

“It’s been a really frustrating process. The fear of escalation of fees and that kind of ongoing nature to the charges is unpleasant for myself.” He added.

Clive from Wiltshire told us that he’s been chased by EPC for 3 toll charges that he’s already paid.

“In total over the three penalty notices they want 140 quid, even though, you know, I’ve got a bank statement to say that I paid them.” He said.

Clive sent EPC proof that he’d already paid the toll company – Via Livre – directly, but EPC rejected his appeal, he told us about the reply he received.

“You have to pay us this money within 28 days. I don't think they probably even looked at the evidence I sent them. They just keep threatening to increase the bills. I think I'll probably crack in the end and have to pay it.”

Consumer travel expert Simon Calder gave us his opinion.

“If you say yeah, that's a picture of my car. I was driving it, then here's what happens. You pay up but you don't pay Euro parking collection. You pay Vialivre, the toll company in Portugal.”

“There is nowhere in that letter anywhere where it says if you don't pay this Andy, you're going to be in trouble because we are legally going to enforce it through the courts and if you don't pay that, then they will come after you with the bailiffs and everything. It doesn't say that.” He added.

European Parking collections PLC response

“All cases forwarded to EPC by European issuing authorities are processed on their behalf in compliance with applicable laws. All road users, regardless of their country of origin, are obligated to adhere to local laws, traffic rules and regulations when travelling within another jurisdiction, including the payment of tolls and fines. An appeals process is available for drivers who wish to challenge the veracity of incurred tolls and fines, and contact information is provided on all issued notifications.”

It added​

“EPC does not publicly discuss individual cases, respecting the individuals’ privacy and in adherence to applicable privacy laws; however, EPC disputes many of the key claims in these sample cases.”

The Portuguese Toll company, Via Livre, offered no comment.