TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Some Floridians are paying more than they need to in order to renew their vehicle registration – all because of the website they end up on, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles.

Yearly registration renewals are sent to taxpayers through the mail, and many choose to pay online with a credit or debit card.

That’s where the DMV says some people make a costly mistake: They use an internet search engine, too look up, “Florida vehicle registration” and end up on site for a private company called eTags. 

The eTags company, and others like it, offer the same service that the state of Florida offers – but they charge fees that the state doesn’t charge. 

“The service fees charged by these sorts of companies make the cost of the transaction much higher the customer,” a DMV spokeswoman said in a statement.

Garrett Gilbertson found this out the hard way. Gilbertson turned to Better Call Behnken after he ended up paying more than he realized on eTags.

Gilbertson said he thought has paying $30, and his receipt even stated that he was charged $30. However, he didn’t notice that his receipt also said, “FL Vehicle Registration taxes” TBD – to be determined. 

He didn’t notice until he received another receipt days later for $129.15. 

“It is on me in part because I should have slowed down and just read, but at the same time, I don’t know how many people are going to think they’re going to get scammed on $100,” Gilbertson said. 

Gilbertson did receive his tag in a timely manner, he just paid more than he would have if he had gone through the state website. 

The department provides resources such as GoRenew.com and the MyFlorida App on iTunes and Google Play, available to consumers who are looking to renew their registration online. 

Gilbertson isn’t the first customer to complain about eTags.  The Florida Attorney General’s Office investigated the company’s practices earlier this year and reached an agreement with the company in September. As part of that agreement, eTags changed wording on its website to include in big letters that the site is not affiliated with the government. 

Gilbertson said he still didn’t notice, in part because he found eTags through a website partner, DMV.org. He mistakenly assumed the DMV site was the government website directing him to eTags as a choice in renewal options. 

“They’re putting everything on the website, by law, the way they’re supposed I would imagine … but at the end of the day, I think it’s a pretty sheisty way to get money from people.”

No one from eTags has responded to an email from Better Call Behnken.