Much of the world operates like this, to soak you for as much money as possible before you give up and pay, even if they provide nothing actually useful or mean

Much of the world operates like this, to soak you for as much money as possible before you give up and pay, even if they provide nothing actually useful or meaningful. It only looks reasonable from their perspective which is to maximize their income. Tax collectors in Rome 2 millennia ago were expected to gain their income by extorting more tax than people owned; as long as the state got what they expected, anything else was yours, which provided a great incentive for tax collectors to soak everyone for as much as possible, and ensured the state got what it wanted. It's an interesting study in economics, unless you are the takee.