Car owners using a newly-released registration app are being driven mad over surprise fees, accusing local traffic officials of charging as high as 80,000 yuan ($10,830) for coveted plate numbers.
The government-backed app, Jiaoguan 12123, enables car owners nationwide to enter vehicle plate lotteries. It assigns winners license numbers at random they can then apply for in person.
However, users awarded licenses with sought-after, "lucky" numbers are complaining that they come with extra fees not disclosed in the app.
An app user surnamed Tang in Ankang, Shaanxi Province said was awarded the number G88C88. But when he arrived at the local motor vehicle registration office, an officer said the number comes with an extra 80,000-yuan fee.
"The system provided no notice about payment for this number," said Tang.
The Ankang vehicle administration said extra fees for lucky numbers range between 20,000 to 80,000 yuan, citing a city meeting memo from 2005.
A local lawyer, however, argued that car owners have a case to file a lawsuit against the city as the extra charges in a random lottery are not standard practice.
