Pennsylvania Agrees to $1.55 Million Settlement with Dollar General over Alleged Price Overcharging
In a significant move, Attorney General Dave Sunday has announced that Dollar General will pay $1.55 million to settle allegations of overcharging Pennsylvania customers. The discount chain, which operates over 900 locations in the state, had repeatedly charged customers higher prices at checkout than those advertised on store shelves, violating state consumer protection laws.
According to Sunday's office, the company failed over 40% of pricing accuracy inspections conducted between 2019 and 2023, with many instances of blatant deception against Pennsylvania consumers. While Dollar General has denied any wrongdoing, it will pay substantial penalties and investigative fees as part of the settlement.
As part of the agreement, Dollar General must implement significant reforms to ensure compliance with consumer protection laws. The company will conduct at least two surprise pricing audits annually and run enhanced assessments for locations that fail three or more audits in a 12-month period. Additionally, it must maintain sufficient staff to update shelf tags weekly, correct known pricing inaccuracies within 24 hours, and post notices informing customers of the lowest advertised price.
In a statement, Attorney General Sunday emphasized his disappointment with Dollar General's failure to uphold consumer protection laws, but expressed hope that the company will take the settlement seriously. Consumers are advised to report any instances of overcharging to the Bureau of Consumer Protection, which can be filed online, via email, or by phone at 717-787-3391.
The settlement comes as a significant victory for Pennsylvania consumers who have been unfairly charged by Dollar General. As Attorney General Sunday notes, "Pennsylvanians expect to pay the price that is on stickers and labels."
In a significant move, Attorney General Dave Sunday has announced that Dollar General will pay $1.55 million to settle allegations of overcharging Pennsylvania customers. The discount chain, which operates over 900 locations in the state, had repeatedly charged customers higher prices at checkout than those advertised on store shelves, violating state consumer protection laws.
According to Sunday's office, the company failed over 40% of pricing accuracy inspections conducted between 2019 and 2023, with many instances of blatant deception against Pennsylvania consumers. While Dollar General has denied any wrongdoing, it will pay substantial penalties and investigative fees as part of the settlement.
As part of the agreement, Dollar General must implement significant reforms to ensure compliance with consumer protection laws. The company will conduct at least two surprise pricing audits annually and run enhanced assessments for locations that fail three or more audits in a 12-month period. Additionally, it must maintain sufficient staff to update shelf tags weekly, correct known pricing inaccuracies within 24 hours, and post notices informing customers of the lowest advertised price.
In a statement, Attorney General Sunday emphasized his disappointment with Dollar General's failure to uphold consumer protection laws, but expressed hope that the company will take the settlement seriously. Consumers are advised to report any instances of overcharging to the Bureau of Consumer Protection, which can be filed online, via email, or by phone at 717-787-3391.
The settlement comes as a significant victory for Pennsylvania consumers who have been unfairly charged by Dollar General. As Attorney General Sunday notes, "Pennsylvanians expect to pay the price that is on stickers and labels."
... this is what happens when you've got huge corporations with deep pockets 
playing fast and loose with consumer laws 
. I mean, 40% of pricing accuracy inspections? That's like a joke 
. You'd think they'd get the hang of it by now. And all for $1.55 million 
... yeah right, that's just a drop in the bucket for them 
. Still, I guess it's about time someone held them accountable 
. Maybe this is a wake-up call for them to get their act together and start putting customers first 
. But you know what really gets my goat? The fine print 
... all these rules and regulations they have to follow now. I'm just waiting to see if they actually do what they say they're gonna do 
.
i'm so glad dollar general is being held accountable for overcharging pennsylvania customers! $1.55 million is a huge settlement and it's not like they're getting off scot-free 
i mean, who wants to pay more for stuff when you can get it at sticker price? 
anyway, kudos to attorney general sunday for standing up for pennsylvania consumers 
anyway glad pennsylvania consumers are getting the justice they deserve 
now lets see how long it takes dollar general to implement those reforms 
. I'm just glad that Attorney General Sunday is holding Dollar General accountable. It's not like they didn't know what they were doing - they just got caught 
. I just hope this sets a precedent for other companies to follow... and that we won't see too many more cases like this 
! It's just basic math - if they say one thing but charge another, it's not right. Pennsylvania did the right thing by taking them down a peg with this $1.55 million settlement 
. It's like, come on! You get caught overcharging folks, own up to it and fix the problem! In this case, at least Dollar General is taking responsibility and making changes to prevent it from happening again 
. I'm glad AG Sunday is on top of it tho 
.
. After all, Pennsylvanians expect to pay what's advertised, not more 
. Time for them to step up their shelf tag game 