Speeding Ticket(s) in Italy

[Klipper]

So two years ago my wife and I go to Tuscany for a week. We rent a car at the airport from a European car rental company. I do all the driving. Maybe I drove over the speed limit on the highway, maybe. But cars are flying past me all the time. I am a pretty cautious driver especially out of the USA.
Get back to USA and an Italian speeding ticket arrives about three months after I return home. I paid it.
Then two more arrive. I look it up online and it says there are scams in Italy and Europe with these car rental companies. So I do not pay the other two.
Yesterday I get a collection notice from a company in California looking to collect on the last two tickets.
Anyone ever experience this overseas?

 

[ucjoet]

Went to Italy in 2018 and got 2 tickets about 10 weeks after getting home. Went again this year, arriving back home mid June. Still haven't received a ticket but sure they are coming. People have told me not to pay, but am worried when I go back( family there) that I will have a problem. Keep us posted.

 

[upstater]

So two years ago my wife and I go to Tuscany for a week. We rent a car at the airport from a European car rental company. I do all the driving. Maybe I drove over the speed limit on the highway, maybe. But cars are flying past me all the time. I am a pretty cautious driver especially out of the USA.
Get back to USA and an Italian speeding ticket arrives about three months after I return home. I paid it.
Then two more arrive. I look it up online and it says there are scams in Italy and Europe with these car rental companies. So I do not pay the other two.
Yesterday I get a collection notice from a company in California looking to collect on the last two tickets.
Anyone ever experience this overseas?

I was going to say, how do you get a speeding ticket in Italy? Were you going 120?

This is a bad spot--I would challenge the collection agency.

 

[Klipper]

The reputation of Italian drivers is quite true. If you have ever driven in Italy and think you are driving fast, you are not. Cars are flying past you in all lanes.
It would make one think that everyone on the roads are constantly getting speeding tickets. That is why I am wondering if this is a scam between the car rental agency and whomever is sending out these tickets.

 

[CL82]

Try asking the collection agency for proof of the ticket. Asked for dates, your speed and the posted speed limit. They may not provide it to you. If they do see if the times/dates make sense.

 

[Crank]

There is no automatic transfer of minor court judgments from Italy to the U.S.. Ergo, the collection calls are toothless, if not non-irritating.
Regarding Italy, and fear of retribution upon your return, is there not a court that can be called to verify the authenticity of the tickets?
I definitely would not pay, even if I was going back - can't imagine time in a Italo-clink for unpaid speeding tickets, even if they are legit, which they are likely not.

 

[upstater]

The reputation of Italian drivers is quite true. If you have ever driven in Italy and think you are driving fast, you are not. Cars are flying past you in all lanes.
It would make one think that everyone on the roads are constantly getting speeding tickets. That is why I am wondering if this is a scam between the car rental agency and whomever is sending out these tickets.

I would contact the state attorney general and let them know about this scam.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

About Us I Italy America Chamber of Commerce New York

The Italy America Chamber of Commerce is the oldest Binational chamber of commerce with the mission of fostering trade between Italy and the United States.

www.italchamber.org

 

[Peacefrog]

I would advise to not pay them. I lived in Italy for three years and received multiple tickets and never paid any of them. They weren't all for speeding. I got one from a transparent scam for trying to entrap people into boarding the train without buying a ticket. I had an Italian license but always showed my US one and told them to knock themselves out sending me the ticket. I've been back since without issues.

 

[Stinger92860]

So two years ago my wife and I go to Tuscany for a week. We rent a car at the airport from a European car rental company. I do all the driving. Maybe I drove over the speed limit on the highway, maybe. But cars are flying past me all the time. I am a pretty cautious driver especially out of the USA.
Get back to USA and an Italian speeding ticket arrives about three months after I return home. I paid it.
Then two more arrive. I look it up online and it says there are scams in Italy and Europe with these car rental companies. So I do not pay the other two.
Yesterday I get a collection notice from a company in California looking to collect on the last two tickets.
Anyone ever experience this overseas?

Yes, lol. I wonder if it was the same camera which had me the equivalent of 6 mph over the speed limit. It was before Sienna heading north on SP73. What a pain to pay. I do not know if the proper authorities ever received payment. The next time I go, i’m bringing proof of payment.

Edit: i did verify through the local “town” and it seemed legit but who knows.

 

[UDann]

So two years ago my wife and I go to Tuscany for a week. We rent a car at the airport from a European car rental company. I do all the driving. Maybe I drove over the speed limit on the highway, maybe. But cars are flying past me all the time. I am a pretty cautious driver especially out of the USA.
Get back to USA and an Italian speeding ticket arrives about three months after I return home. I paid it.
Then two more arrive. I look it up online and it says there are scams in Italy and Europe with these car rental companies. So I do not pay the other two.
Yesterday I get a collection notice from a company in California looking to collect on the last two tickets.
Anyone ever experience this overseas?

I have driven in Italy and never got a notice for a ticket but I go to France quite often. I have received tickets for going just 5km over the speed limit and even silly parking tickets. There is nothing they can do its just an attempt to make some money from you. Even the rental car companies don't give you a hard time because they want you to rent from them again. It is really a shame that this is what its come to everybody wants your money.

 

[uconndoit]

I am planning a trip there in October and would appreciate any advice as well. I lived there for 3 years during high school but I have never driven a car there outside of my driveway - I only drove my little 50cc motorino on the streets.

(I hope this isn't too much of a sidetrack for this thread about speeding tickets but....)

Do I really need an international driving permit to drive in Italy? That is: do I need it to rent the car? do I need it only if/when pulled over? Will I get a separate ticket if I don't have one? or worse?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I have no direct experience with this but scammers are going HARD this days. I recently got a new phone and mailed my old phone back in with a receipt from USPS and everything. I got an email weeks later from a fake email claiming to be ATT Customer Service. It said I had to send in my iPhone or pay $200 or a $500 charge would be applied to my bill. I called actually ATT and they had received my phone. It’s insane the information they come up with.

 

[Imdone]

I am planning a trip there in October and would appreciate any advice as well. I lived there for 3 years during high school but I have never driven a car there outside of my driveway - I only drove my little 50cc motorino on the streets.

(I hope this isn't too much of a sidetrack for this thread about speeding tickets but....)

Do I really need an international driving permit to drive in Italy? That is: do I need it to rent the car? do I need it only if/when pulled over? Will I get a separate ticket if I don't have one? or worse?

Last summer I went to Switzerland and France for three weeks (I did drive through Italy going from Switzerland to Cannes). I rented a car for the three weeks and drove over 5,000 K while I was there. I did get an international drivers license ($20 from AAA). No one ever asked to see it. I rented from SIXT which is pretty popular over there. So no you don't need one - but I was told it helps if you ever get pulled over. (Rick Steve's says he has never been asked to see it - but he says he always gets one). They do have a lot of electronic monitoring over there. My GPS would "ding" every time we went past a traffic camera - so those speeding tickets could be legit. I did not get any speeding tickets - but I did get a ticket from Switzerland for a red light violation. I really don't know if I ran a light or not. But considering I had been up for almost 24 hours when I picked up the car in Geneva - and spent a confusing 15 minutes trying to get on the correct highway leaving the city - it's possible I did run one. Anyway I paid it (Approx $250 - yeah Switzerland is very expensive). I also had to pay about $25 to the car rental company for their "processing" i.e. telling the cops it was me driving their car. It was expensive - and I may never go back there - but to me it was worth paying it to make it go away. It did seem legitamate to me. I could tell I was dealing with the local municipality when paying and not some third party.

 

[SubbaBub]

You will likely need it to rent a car. All it is, is a translation of your US license into the language of the country you are visiting. Not all countries require it.

They can be had at any AAA office for about $20. Not a big deal.

 

[Jaker]

lol, blow those tickets off. Let us know if and when anything happens as a result.

 

[husky429]

I am planning a trip there in October and would appreciate any advice as well. I lived there for 3 years during high school but I have never driven a car there outside of my driveway - I only drove my little 50cc motorino on the streets.

(I hope this isn't too much of a sidetrack for this thread about speeding tickets but....)

Do I really need an international driving permit to drive in Italy? That is: do I need it to rent the car? do I need it only if/when pulled over? Will I get a separate ticket if I don't have one? or worse?

They're cheap. I think mine was like 30$ at AAA. Just get it--you never know.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I got one in France in June and paid it online. It was the French government site, not via the rental agency so seemed very legit.

 

[uconndoit]

They're cheap. I think mine was like 30$ at AAA. Just get it--you never know.

It's not the money - I live overseas so I don't have access to AAA.

 

[Old blue]

It's not the money - I live overseas so I don't have access to AAA.

i was in italy last year for a week and rented a big van at the airport from sixth, i think it was. I read some fine print somewhere that i should get an italian temp drivers permit. i got mine at AAA. they never asked for it at the counter at the rome airport rental desk when i rented the van, and when i tried to produce it to show them, guy at counter laughed and told me to put it away. So for what its worth, total waste of time for me.

 

[Old blue]

You will likely need it to rent a car. All it is, is a translation of your US license into the language of the country you are visiting. Not all countries require it.

They can be had at any AAA office for about $20. Not a big deal.

not true, i rented at rome airport and rental guy laughed at me when i produced it. waste of money .

 

[DogPoundSr]

Spent 3 weeks in Italy last year. Used trains, subways, buses, and a taxi on 18 days, rented a car for 3 days. Had a AAA International Drivers License. Knew about the speed limits and their traps when we drove in Italy. No tickets arrived. You also have to watch out for the Forbidden Zones in cities where only the locals can drive.

The trains were great. They went almost everywhere we wanted to go; were really fast; most very modern, made frequent trips; cheap; and gave me the chance to view the country.

 

[uconndoit]

Yeah well be doing trains and rental car. First we fly into Florence for 7 days, then train to Venice for 3 days, train to Rome for 7 days, rental car to Amalfi/Pompeii for 3 days, rental car to Todi in Umbria for 4 days, then rental car to a Chianti farmstay for 5 days then return the car at the airport and fly out of Florence.

 

[uconndoit]

i was in italy last year for a week and rented a big van at the airport from sixth, i think it was. I read some fine print somewhere that i should get an italian temp drivers permit. i got mine at AAA. they never asked for it at the counter at the rome airport rental desk when i rented the van, and when i tried to produce it to show them, guy at counter laughed and told me to put it away. So for what its worth, total waste of time for me.

Ok thanks - that's useful info!

 

[uconndoit]

Last summer I went to Switzerland and France for three weeks (I did drive through Italy going from Switzerland to Cannes). I rented a car for the three weeks and drove over 5,000 K while I was there. I did get an international drivers license ($20 from AAA). No one ever asked to see it. I rented from SIXT which is pretty popular over there. So no you don't need one - but I was told it helps if you ever get pulled over. (Rick Steve's says he has never been asked to see it - but he says he always gets one). They do have a lot of electronic monitoring over there. My GPS would "ding" every time we went past a traffic camera - so those speeding tickets could be legit. I did not get any speeding tickets - but I did get a ticket from Switzerland for a red light violation. I really don't know if I ran a light or not. But considering I had been up for almost 24 hours when I picked up the car in Geneva - and spent a confusing 15 minutes trying to get on the correct highway leaving the city - it's possible I did run one. Anyway I paid it (Approx $250 - yeah Switzerland is very expensive). I also had to pay about $25 to the car rental company for their "processing" i.e. telling the cops it was me driving their car. It was expensive - and I may never go back there - but to me it was worth paying it to make it go away. It did seem legitamate to me. I could tell I was dealing with the local municipality when paying and not some third party.

That's a bummer about the expensive ticket! I drove through southeastern Europe last Dec - a loop from Romania south to (northern) Greece then back up through Macedonia and Serbia. I haven't received anything in the mail from that...but I live in Bangkok and my "permanent" address is in CT so maybe I just never saw it (my mother just throws my mail in a pile).

Anyway, I was specifically concerned about Italy - but maybe I just risk it since I don't have access to AAA over here and, as far as I can tell, I would need a Thai driver's license before I can get an IDP based on it...and for some reason I need to have the Thai license for a year before I can get an IDP for it.

But I'll go ahead and get the Thai license and IDP anyway since my CT DL is expiring next June and since it was a renewal by mail I can't do another renewal by mail and I won't be going back in CT anytime soon. So after June my only valid DL will be my Thai one!