Romania warns about additional vignette charges
UNTRR warns about additional charges when purchasing e-vignettes in Romania. According to the organization, some online platforms add their own commissions, which means the final price may be up to around 12 percent higher than the official tariff.
There have been reports on the market of inflated prices for e-vignettes in Romania. The UNTRR carriers’ association warns that some online platforms are selling vignettes at prices higher than those provided for by regulations, adding extra fees hidden under names such as “processing services” or “issuance fees”. In practice, this means that, in addition to the statutory rate, the user may pay up to around 12 percent more. Although the difference may not seem significant for a single purchase, in the case of larger fleets it translates into a noticeable increase in operating costs. For example, an annual vignette for a passenger car, which normally costs around 254.95 lei, or about PLN 224, exceeds 285 lei, or about PLN 250, on some websites.
In the case of heavy goods vehicles, the differences are even more important, as vignette charges are many times higher than those for passenger cars. Even a several-percent additional commission charged by intermediaries can mean a noticeable increase in the operating costs of an entire fleet, especially when vignettes are purchased regularly for many vehicles. In practice, this means that controlling purchase channels and verifying costs in fleet management systems is becoming increasingly important in order to avoid unplanned differences in operating expenses.
UNTRR points out that the additional fees are not part of the official tariff and result solely from the pricing policy of intermediaries. The organization therefore recommends carefully checking the purchase source and verifying the final price before making payment. Vignettes can be purchased at regulated prices through official distribution channels, including the e-rovinieta.ro platform, operated by an authorized distributor. Choosing a verified purchase channel not only reduces the risk of additional costs, but also makes it easier to control expenses and increases the security of the data used in the purchase process.
Source: UNTRR
