Drivers in California are expressing frustration over unexpected charges after falling victim to a website that closely resembles the DMV portal.
Instead of using the state’s official site, drivers have been registering vehicles through NeedTags.com, a third-party provider authorized to sell DMV-related services.
The trouble is, many Californians discovered they were being billed roughly $90 more than what they would have paid directly on the DMV website.
Attempts to dispute these charges with credit card companies have met pushback, with the company threatening legal repercussions for anyone who tries.
“I’m not a criminal,” Allen Jensen said tearfully. “I’ve never been to prison… It’s not about the money. Why is my state allowing this?”
Another affected individual, Allyn Peterson from San Jose, attempted to challenge the fees but ended up unsuccessful.
“Why does the government allow such practices? How is this officially sanctioned?” Peterson questioned.
An 84-year-old woman, Manuela Raquel from Santa Cruz, also got caught up in this situation. She admitted to not reading the fine print and expressed her regret in reaching out to the company via email.
“I said, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m 84 years old and made a terrible mistake,'” she wrote, yet received no response.
The company is featured as a “Sponsored Result” on Google and positions itself as a “DMV Partner” on the state’s DMV website.
Google’s ad transparency data indicates that Continental Green Inc. is funding these ads, which come in 73 variations.
While some notices below the ads state, “This is not a government website,” a legal advocate criticized the misleading impression that users are paying the same fees they would at the DMV.
“Consumers may end up paying, in some cases, hundreds more than if they accessed the DMV directly,” said Robert Herrell from the Consumer Federation of California. “We recommend everyone to use the DMV website.”
The company claims on its website that it is not affiliated with the government and charges additional fees for services that the DMV provides free of charge.
California hasn’t made significant strides to rectify this issue. Although lawmakers introduced a bill last year to cap fees, it hasn’t progressed.
“These online vendors charge substantial markups for services that should be available at DMV,” noted California Assemblyman Matt Haney during a Transportation Committee session.
Consumers are increasingly frustrated, thinking that Google seems to be addressing these registration issues more effectively than their own government.
“What I learned is that while California officials were saying, ‘Give me money,’ Google was actually helping people,” Peterson remarked.
The state DMV advised ABC 7 that it encourages usage of their official website and insists that third-party partners should be clear about their fees.
“California DMV encourages customers to utilize online services at dmv.ca.gov to avoid extra charges from third-party vendors,” they stated. “We expect transparency from service providers and adherence to the law.”
Recently, the NeedTags.com site has vanished from search results following a Google alert. The owner, Eddie Asmerian, had previously asserted that the company is “committed to transparency.”
