Politics
FTC, Wisconsin and 19 states accuse Dollar General of charging more at checkout
A multistate lawsuit filed Monday alleges Dollar General routinely charged customers prices above those posted on shelves, tags and advertisements. Wisconsin officials say accurate pricing is a basic consumer protection; the company’s alleged practices could have cost shoppers millions, according to the state’s announcement.
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin, the Federal Trade Commission and 19 other states are suing Dollar General, alleging the retailer repeatedly charged customers more at checkout than the prices displayed in stores and advertisements.
The lawsuit, announced Monday, alleges that Dollar General knew about the pricing problems but did not put adequate policies and practices in place to address them. Wisconsin’s Department of Justice said the alleged overcharges cost consumers in Wisconsin and elsewhere millions of dollars.
“The prices that folks see displayed when they’re shopping should be the same as the prices they’re charged when they check out,” Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. “If the prices charged at the checkout aisle are higher than the prices on the shelves, there should be accountability.”
Randy Romanski, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, said the agency’s Bureau of Weights and Measures conducts hundreds of thousands of inspections each year. He said shoppers should be able to rely on advertised prices.
The states joining Wisconsin are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. The complaint was filed jointly with the FTC.
The allegations have not been established in court. The complaint is available through the FTC.