SWANTON, Ohio — Weeks after 11 Investigates reported on the Ohio Turnpike's new tolling system, people say they're still having issues.
People have said they're confused by Ohio Turnpike's new toll plazas implemented in April of this year.
Instead of pulling into the section to pay, some are going through the E-ZPass lanes when they're not supposed to. So, instead of paying the few dollars it would usually cost, they receive a bill in the mail for $19.25, the maximum cost at the turnpike.
This has happened to 256,966 vehicles between exits 4 and 49 in a 75-day period.
When people have called the turnpike to straighten things out, though, it hasn't been so easy to get ahold of someone.
"Thank you for calling the Ohio Turnpike customer service center. We're experiencing increased call volumes," Jackie Morlock heard when calling the turnpike.
Morlock said she traveled with her husband on the turnpike in May of this year and received an invoice for going through the E-ZPass lane without the membership.
"We realized we made the mistake, and we paid that first bill and sent it in," Morlock said. "I thought that was going to be the end of it."
But then she received a second bill a few weeks later for what she believed was for the same mistake.
"I thought I already paid this bill," Morlock said.
She called customer service to try to figure it out but was met with several long wait times.
"A ridiculous amount of time, like 180 minutes and the second time I called it was a 156-minute wait time," Morlock said.
Last week, she had a 96-minute wait.
She didn't want to wait that long, so, she kept getting bills in the mail. She received five in total, with the last one telling her it was her final notice.
"You got your money, just what more do you want from us?" Morlock said.
The turnpike's communications director, Charles Cyrill, told 11 Investigates that two separate violations were sent to Morlock and that the turnpike clocked her vehicle going through the E-ZPass lane twice.
"We took the opportunity to explain to them how the system operates," Cyrill said, explaining a conversation he had with Morlock.
Cyrill said the turnpike also waived Morlock's second violation as a courtesy and stated its representatives would work with all customers.
"Once they speak to a customer service representative, we can adjust fares once we figure out where they entered and exited the toll road," Cyrill said.
But what if you don't want to wait on hold for a representative?
The automated system will also allow callers to have a customer service representative call them back later. Or, callers can go online to the Ohio Turnpike's website to fill out a form.
Cyrill said the easiest way to avoid these issues is by signing up for E-ZPass.
But Morlock would rather see a less confusing toll system.
"We don't use the turnpike that much and when we do, we don't use the E-ZPass, we don't want it." Morlock said. "We just get the ticket and pay."
Ohio Turnpike officials said changes take time and they're working on educating people on how to use the new system.
While they do that, no bills will be sent to collections and all late fees have been waived.
If drivers already paid a late fee, Cyrill said to contact a representative and a refund check will be sent in the mail.