Walmart, Dollar General fined for overcharging customers in the Charlotte area
Three stores in the Charlotte region were among nearly a dozen North Carolina retailers fined over $22,000 combined for overcharging customers.
A total of 10 stores were fined in nine counties for excessive price-scanning errors, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division said Thursday.
Three stores in Mecklenburg County were fined a total of $4,800. The local stores that were fined were Dollar General, Walmart and Auto Zone.
In April, more than three dozen stores were fined a combined $304,635, including seven stores in Mecklenburg that were fined $58,185.
“I’m happy to see that this report is shorter than previous quarters as compliance has improved statewide,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. Troxler said it’s important for customers to check their receipts and notify store managers if they see charges that don’t match shelf prices.
Overcharging in Charlotte-area retail stores
Periodic, unannounced inspections in retail stores check if shelf and register prices match. Here’s what turned up during the latest round around Charlotte: ▪ Auto Zone at 3701 South Blvd., Charlotte, paid $975 in penalties. An initial inspection in April found an error rate of 24% based on 12 overcharges in a 50-item lot. A follow-up inspection in May found an error rate of 4.33% based on 13 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be reinspected. ▪ Walmart at 11145 Bryton Town Center, Huntersville, paid $1,695 in penalties. An initial inspection in April found an error rate of 6% based on six overcharges in a 100-item lot. A follow-up inspection in May found an error rate of 2.67% on eight overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be inspected again. ▪ Dollar General at 1801 Hickory Grove Road, Gastonia, paid $2,130 in penalties. An initial inspection in March found an error rate of 20% based on 10 overcharges in a 50-item lot. A follow-up inspection in April found an error rate of 6.33% on 19 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed inspection in June.
Past store inspection failures
Over the past year, several local stores were fined totaling nearly $185,000, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
▪ In April, seven stores in Mecklenburg were fined a total of $58,185, including Dollar General, Family Dollar, Circle K and Target.
▪ In February, eight stores in the Charlotte region, including Dollar General, Family Dollar, Circle K, Target, Walmart and 7-Eleven, were fined nearly $39,000.
▪ In December, 17 stores in the region, including Walmart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Circle K and Sam’s Mart, were fined over $40,000.
▪ In August, eight stores — four Walmarts, three Dollar Generals and one Target — were fined a total of $63,505 in the region.
▪ In April 2022, several area Walmart and Dollar General stores were fined a combined $42,165 for overcharges.
How store inspections work in NC
Stores are fined for failing to meet the 2% or less price scanning error rate, according to the state.
If a store has more than a 2% error rate on overcharges, inspectors talk with the store manager and make a follow-up inspection. Stores are penalized if they fail the follow-up inspection.
Stores are re-inspected every 60 days until meeting the 2%-or-less error rate, and could face additional fines. Undercharges are also reported but don’t count against a store.
What to do if you find a price scan error?
Along with notifying store employees about price discrepancies, customers who see price scanner errors on their receipts may file a complaint with the state Standards Division. Call 984-236-4750.
