Weird letter from car hire firm

[NigellaAwesome]

I hired a car from Geneva airport about 3 years ago. A few months afterwards I got an invoice purporting to come from the car hire company. It was an invoice for approx £35 for them to pass my details to the Swiss authorities. It said it was due to a driving infraction.

I thought it looked a bit suspect at the time, so I didn't do anything. I never heard anything more, either from the car hire company or the Swiss authorities, so pretty much dismissed it as a scam - although they did have all of my details.

I am due to go to Switzerland next month, and may need to hire a car. I am concerned that my driving licence number may be on some sort of database which will either blacklist me from hiring a car, or opening me up to arrest / detention etc. Am I panicking? Is there any way I can find out? Should I just take my chances?

The alternative is that I could hire a car from the French side of Geneva airport - but I may still be blacklisted on car hire companies.

Just pre-book it. Use a different car hire firm from last time.

The letter was perfectly normal and probably not a scam. When you sign a hire agreement you agree to pay any fines and related fees. If you then incur a fine the hirer will usually charge an admin fee for dealing with the fine and sending your details to the authorities.

According to advice from the UK government fines for motoring offences imposed by the Swiss authorities are enforceable for 3 years. If it is more than 3 years since your last visit to Switzerland the fine will have lapsed. If it is less than 3 years you may have to pay when you go back to Switzerland.

I doubt you will be on a blacklist that will stop you from hiring a car but there is only one way to find out.

Thanks prh.

I think I dismissed it because I never heard anything further. I never actually received a fine or any other official correspondence.

I've just looked at the letter again. It says there was a traffic penalty charge issued on 20/02/17. I was never stopped by police and have no idea what it was for. I don't speed.

It says the notice date is 21/03/17, issued on 20/02/17, but if a fine is issued for non payment then it would be after 21/3/17? I am due to travel on 22/3/20.

I'll use a different car hire company and think I'll hire from the French side just in case.

Out of interest, do you have a link to the advice about fines being written off after three years?

The government advice is at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland/safety-and-security

I've no idea if the 3 years runs from the date of the offence or some later date. I would recommend being prepared to pay the fine at the Swiss border.

You should be aware that Switzerland enforces speed limits rigidly - you can be fined for being as little as 1kph (roughly 0.6mph) over the speed limit. If you are 6kph over the limit (roughly 4mph) the fine is around £100. Drivers need to keep well below the speed limit.

Your best approach may be to ask the company who supplied the original hire car whether you have any outstanding fines in Switzerland. That way you can sort it out before you go and won't have any worry about possible fines when you get to the border.

Thank you, that is very useful, particularly about the rigid speed limits.

We are flying to Geneva next week, although DH will be hiring & driving. I hadn't even given that trip any thought as I knew I wouldn't be driving - but hadn't factored in the potential of being stopped at passport control. Although I was never contacted by the Swiss authorities, so maybe I am panicking over nothing.