E-vignette: Switzerland warns drivers not to buy motorway sticker on foreign websites
The so-called e-vignette has been on sale in Switzerland since August 1st. A Dutch site now sells it as well, but for a higher price.
The so-called e-vignette has been on sale in Switzerland since August 1st. A Dutch site now sells it as well, but for a higher price.
The vignette, which is obligatory when traveling on the country's highways for residents and tourists alike, is also available in the digital form.
It can be purchased at any time on the website of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAGZ).
READ ALSO: What you should know about Switzerland's new electronic motorway sticker
However, as soon as the digital sticker became available, a site based near Amsterdam, has also started selling e-stickers, promoting itself as "the website for buying your official Swiss vignette."
This online shop is not fake — it buys legitimate e-vignettes from BAGZ and then re-sells them for a higher price.
In Switzerland, both paper and digital versions cost 40 francs, while the Dutch provider sells them for 50 euros — 48 francs at the current exchange rate.
In other words, the site makes an 8-franc profit on each sticker it sells.
While not exactly illegal, this is, nevertheless, a rip off, especially for unsuspecting tourists who may fall into the trap.
The website’s owners explained to Swiss media that they inflate the price because “we have customer support in English. That's why we charge extra."
BAGZ responded that it reserves the right to take legal action against this, and other non-official sellers of e- vignettes, and “strongly recommends” that motorists purchase it though the official site.
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The so-called e-vignette has been on sale in Switzerland since August 1st. A Dutch site now sells it as well, but for a higher price.
The vignette, which is obligatory when traveling on the country's highways for residents and tourists alike, is also available in the digital form.
It can be purchased at any time on the website of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAGZ).
READ ALSO: What you should know about Switzerland's new electronic motorway sticker
However, as soon as the digital sticker became available, a site based near Amsterdam, has also started selling e-stickers, promoting itself as "the website for buying your official Swiss vignette."
This online shop is not fake — it buys legitimate e-vignettes from BAGZ and then re-sells them for a higher price.
In Switzerland, both paper and digital versions cost 40 francs, while the Dutch provider sells them for 50 euros — 48 francs at the current exchange rate.
In other words, the site makes an 8-franc profit on each sticker it sells.
While not exactly illegal, this is, nevertheless, a rip off, especially for unsuspecting tourists who may fall into the trap.
The website’s owners explained to Swiss media that they inflate the price because “we have customer support in English. That's why we charge extra."
BAGZ responded that it reserves the right to take legal action against this, and other non-official sellers of e- vignettes, and “strongly recommends” that motorists purchase it though the official site.
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