My old E-Tag worked around once every two months. I usually only use it once a week. I initially rang up to check that I wasn’t going to get a fine, but the staff reassured me that they would just track down my E-Tag account based on my car license plates, and charge me that way. I adjusted the position twice, following their instructions, but it didn’t work. Years passed.

When we went skiing in July, I checked that my E-Tag account had lots of money, then set off happily. As usual,  the tag didn’t beep, but that was normal.

A week or so later the tag did beep while crossing the Harbour Bridge, but it was an unusual beep.   I rang the RTA to see what was wrong.  They had my card expiry date wrong, so I got them to update that, and asked for a new tag to be requested.   They said to go to the nearest RTA to pick up a new tag. I got the new tag, attached it to the car, and drove across the bridge.

The new tag didn’t work either.

The next week,  the ex-husband got an official Toll Notice for not paying a toll on the M5 (the car is still registered in his name).  It had to be the ski trip. Crazy, as the tag was attached, and I had a statement saying funds were plentiful.  I rang the RTA, and they said it should have automatically detected that the car had an E-Tag, and not to worry.

But the ex had to fill in a statutory declaration saying I was the driver. Shades of Marcus Einfeld.

Today I received the redirected Toll Notice. I guess their automatic detection system doesn’t work.

One of the options for payment of the massive $3.80 toll was BPay. Logged on and tried to pay it. Payment rejected with message “This merchant does not accept payments that small from your account type”. Swapped to credit account. Same message.

So the E-Tag doesn’t work, their software system can no longer match license plates to E-Tag accounts, and their payment system doesn’t accept payments.

Have to put a piece of paper in an envelope to pay $3.80.

Good grief Charlie Brown.