HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a settlement with Dollar General Corporation and its parent company (Dolgen Corp, LLC) regarding consumers being charged higher prices than what was labeled and advertised on shelves.
The Office of Attorney General investigation uncovered numerous occasions when consumers were charged higher prices at registers at Dollar General, which operates more than 900 retail locations throughout Pennsylvania. The investigation also revealed that Dollar General stores failed more than 40 percent of pricing accuracy inspections between 2019 and 2023.
The corporation, under the settlement, will pay $1.55 million to the Commonwealth in penalties and costs, and agreed to improve their business practices through employee training and sufficient staffing.
”Our investigation found widespread and repeated instances of Pennsylvanians being overcharged at checkout — blatant deception of customers all over the Commonwealth,” Attorney General Sunday said. “We are hopeful the corporation takes this settlement very seriously as Pennsylvanians expect to pay the price that is on stickers and labels.”
This settlement resolves allegations that Dollar General misrepresented prices and engaged in practices that are prohibited by the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
In addition to the settlement funds, the settlement further requires that Dollar General modify its business practices to prevent future violations of the Pennsylvania consumer protection law. As detailed in the settlement agreement, Dollar General will undertake the following steps in its Pennsylvania stores:
- Train employees on ensuring price accuracy as well as their obligation to honor the lowest advertised price, including Dollar General’s obligation to provide price adjustments for overcharges;
- Maintain sufficient staffing to update shelf tags on at least a weekly basis;
- Ensure each store undergoes at least two unannounced pricing audits during each fiscal year;
- Conduct either an enhanced audit or full store assessment of each store that fails three or more price audits during a 12 month period;
- Correct all reported or known price inaccuracies within 24 hours; and
- Post a notice at each register (point of sale) stating that the lowest posted price will be honored and informing customers that they can seek a price override if necessary.
Consumers who see retailers charging higher prices at the register than as advertised are encouraged to file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection online, over the phone at 717-787-3391, or by emailing sc***@*************al.gov.
This settlement was submitted for filing as an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County by Deputy Attorney General Jaimie George.
A settlement agreement shall not be considered as an admission of violation of the law.
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