Dollar General Sued in Missouri for Alleged Widespread Pricing Deception
JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Missouri Attorney General Andrew bailey has filed a lawsuit against Dollar General, alleging the retailer systematically overcharged customers across the state due to discrepancies between shelf prices and prices at the register.The suit seeks full restitution for affected consumers, an end to the alleged deceptive practices, and financial penalties against the company.
The lawsuit stems from a state examination that revealed pricing errors at nearly 100 Dollar General locations in Missouri. The investigation found overcharges ranging up to $6.50 per item, with an average overcharge of $2.71 across more than 5,000 items examined. This impacts perhaps thousands of Missouri shoppers who rely on the discount retailer for everyday goods, and raises concerns about clarity in pricing practices nationwide.
According to the Attorney general’s office,frequently mispriced items included candles,toilet paper,lip balm,lemonade,tire foam,and drink coolers. The lawsuit argues these discrepancies constitute “unfair and deceptive practices” under missouri law.
The Attorney General is seeking a court order to prevent Dollar General from continuing the alleged deceptive pricing, as well as full restitution for customers who were overcharged.The suit also requests that Dollar General forfeit any profits gained from the overcharges and pay civil penalties.
Dollar General operates over 600 stores throughout Missouri and nearly 20,000 stores across the United States. The outcome of this lawsuit could set a precedent for consumer protection enforcement against large retail chains and impact pricing accuracy standards nationwide.