Dollar General to pay Pennsylvania more than $1 million for this..

Dollar General has agreed to pay $1.55 million to the state of Pennsylvania following allegations of overcharging customers at its stores. The settlement, announced by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, resolves claims that the retail giant misrepresented prices and violated the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

The investigation revealed that between 2019 and 2023, Dollar General stores in Pennsylvania failed more than 40% of pricing accuracy inspections. Customers were frequently charged higher prices at checkout than those displayed on shelves, leading to widespread consumer complaints. Dollar General operates over 900 locations across the state, making the issue a significant concern for Pennsylvania shoppers.

The Attorney General emphasized the importance of the settlement, stating, “Our investigation found widespread and repeated instances of Pennsylvanians being overcharged at checkout — blatant deception of customers all over the Commonwealth. We are hopeful the corporation takes this settlement very seriously as Pennsylvanians expect to pay the price that is on stickers and labels.”

As part of the settlement, Dollar General has committed to improving its business practices to prevent future violations. These measures include:

Training employees to ensure price accuracy and honor the lowest advertised price.
Maintaining adequate staffing to update shelf tags weekly.
Conducting at least two unannounced pricing audits per store each fiscal year.
Correcting all reported price inaccuracies within 24 hours.
Posting notices at registers to inform customers that the lowest posted price will be honored.

The settlement funds will cover penalties and costs associated with the investigation. While Dollar General has not admitted to any legal violations, the agreement represents a significant step toward ensuring fair pricing practices for Pennsylvania consumers.

Shoppers who encounter pricing discrepancies are encouraged to report them to the Bureau of Consumer Protection via phone, email, or the Attorney General’s website.