Ohio attorney general sues Dollar General over alleged 'deceptive pricing'

The Ohio attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Dollar General Corp. after multiple Ohio counties accused the Tennessee-based discount retailer of overcharging customers.

The lawsuit, filed in the Butler County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, says Dollar General violated a state consumer protections law by advertising goods for one price on store shelves and charging a higher price when the items are scanned at the register.

Last month, inspectors with the Butler County auditor’s office found pricing errors at all 20 Dollar Generals in the county, most of which caused shoppers to be overcharged for some items.

Inspectors visited Dollar Generals over a two-week period and said between 16.7% and 88.2% of tested items were the wrong price at checkout. Stores are only allowed to have a 2% margin of error to meet state standards.

In a press release, the Attorney General’s Office accused Dollar General of "deceptive pricing" and said it received 12 similar complaints from Cuyahoga, Franklin, Highland, Lucas, Madison, Richland, Summit and Trumbull counties between March 2021 and August 2022.

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Dollar General, which first started doing business in Ohio in 2015 and now operates 943 stores statewide, did not immediately return an email or a phone call from The Columbus Dispatch seeking comment Monday.

The lawsuit accuses Dollar General of bait advertising and listing false prices on products.

“Everything we buy these days costs more ‑ Ohioans can ill-afford businesses that draw people in with the promise of low prices only to deceive them at the checkout counter,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who is up for reelection next week, said in a statement. “This seems like a company trying to make an extra buck and hoping no one will notice. We’ve not only noticed but are taking action to stop it.”

The attorney general's lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction against Dollar General from further engaging in acts or practices that violate the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, a $25,000 fine for each violation, payment of actual damages to all consumers injured by the conduct, payment of the state's costs in bringing the lawsuit and collecting any judgment awarded and payment of all court costs.

In addition, Yost's office seeks an injunction that would prohibit the defendant from engaging in business until it satisfies all monetary obligations ordered by the court.

Ohio consumers who suspect they have been overcharged or are the victim of other unfair business practices are advised to contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.

Columbus Dispatch reporter Jim Wilhelm contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio attorney general sues Dollar General over alleged 'deceptive pricing'