JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against Dollar General for deceptive and unfair pricing in its more than 600 retail stores throughout the state. The lawsuit asserts that Dollar General violated Missouri’s consumer protection laws by advertising one price at the shelf and charging a higher price at the register upon checkout.
“As long as I’m Attorney General, my office will always pursue those who attempt to rip off Missouri consumers,” said Attorney General Bailey. “Prices are at an all-time high; the last thing Missourians need is to feel the brunt of Dollar General’s scheme. We will move forward undeterred in our fight to obtain full restitution for all affected.”
Attorney General Bailey is seeking an injunction, full restitution, civil penalties, and other relief for violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
The petition states, “Dollar General is routinely overcharging Missouri consumers for every day staples and the necessities of life. Worse still, consumers are being deceived as to the prices they are actually paying for these items. Candles, toilet paper, lip balm, lemonade, tire foam and drink coolers all have one thing in common at Dollar General stores across the state of Missouri: the prices charged at the point of sale are frequently higher than the prices listed on the shelf.”
The Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation with the Missouri Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures Division, which is responsible for surveilling weighing and measuring devices such as price scanners in retail stores.
The joint investigation revealed “92 of the 147 locations where investigations were conducted failed inspection. Price discrepancies ranged up to as much as $6.50 per item, with an average overcharge of $2.71 for the over 5,000 items price checked by investigators.”
“Ensuring price verification and accuracy is one of the key components of the Missouri Department of Agriculture through our Weights, Measures and Consumer Protection Division,” said Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn. “I applaud the Attorney General for working with our Weights and Measures team to protect Missouri consumers by ensuring that the price charged at checkout matches the advertised price on the shelf.”
Attorney General Bailey encourages citizens who have been overcharged by retail stores to file a complaint with his office by calling the Consumer Protection hotline at 800-392-8222 or submitting a complaint online at ago.mo.gov.