FTC and 20 states sue Dollar General over alleged checkout overcharges

The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states filed a lawsuit against Dollar General ($DG) in Tennessee federal court, alleging that checkout prices repeatedly exceeded shelf labels and advertisements. The agency said the retailer received tens of thousands of complaints from consumers about failures to honor advertised prices. It alleges the company failed to correct recurring pricing problems despite knowing about them.

The plaintiffs seek a permanent injunction, monetary relief and state civil penalties, potentially exposing the retailer to reimbursement costs and changes to its pricing controls. These are allegations in a pending case; the requested remedies have not been awarded. Reuters reported that Dollar General could not immediately be reached for comment. The new federal and multistate action is separate from earlier state settlements over pricing discrepancies.

Sources:

• Federal Trade Commission — case and complaint
• Reuters
• Reuters via AOL