The State of North Carolina has just officially sued Dollar General for repeatedly charging shoppers more at the register than prices shown on store shelves.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined the Federal Trade Commission and 19 other states in suing the chain. North Carolina has more than 1,150 Dollar General stores, giving the case broad local impact.
State officials say Dollar General stores have failed thousands of pricing audits and generated nearly 30,000 complaints over mismatched prices.
Inspectors found nearly 400 pricing errors during 28 inspections at 10 North Carolina stores over two years.
The lawsuit alleges customers nationwide lost millions of dollars by paying more than advertised.
Dollar General disputes the claims. The company says pricing discrepancies are occasional and employees are instructed to correct them when found.
The lawsuit seeks monetary relief, civil penalties and court orders requiring better pricing accuracy.
North Carolina officials are urging shoppers to check receipts before leaving the store and report any price differences.
For customers, the issue is simple: the shelf price should match what rings up at checkout.
