COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Multiple stores in Ohio face lawsuits for deceptive pricing and customers going to some of those stores will soon be warned to make sure their receipts are accurate.
Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano said Tuesday that stores that have failed multiple scanner inspections will have warning signs added to its scanners to alert consumers about possible overcharging.
The measure comes about a month after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced lawsuits against Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree for deceptive pricing.
Stores that failed multiple inspections for its scanners will have a sticker on scanners that reads: NONSEALED DEVICE. Stinziano said consumers scanning items to buy at these stores should look at their receipts to verify the correct price. The sticker will also have a QR Code you can scan on your phone to learn more about the failed inspections.
“We’re still at a 70% failure rate,” said Stinziano of the inspections of cash registers and other points of sale. “It’s something we’re not seeing just in Franklin County and talking with other county auditors. It’s across the state, and some even across the country.”
Last month, seven Dollar General stores failed a second inspection for weights and measures on its scanners, per Stinziano. Although his office did not specify the addresses of those stores, his office released on Nov. 14 five Dollar General stores that failed inspections for specific products that scanned at higher prices than listed. Those five stores were:
- 5001 Chatterton Rd.
- 4868 W. Broad St.
- 618 Schrock Rd., Westerville
- 3065 Broadway, Grove City
- 3170 Lambert Rd.
When asked if Stinziano has been in contact with Dollar General’s corporate team, he said no, stating he has worked with some liaisons that represent Dollar General in Ohio. “It has not been as smooth as desired.”
Since it was announced that Yost’s office received 12 complaints between March 2021 and August 2022 regarding deceptive pricing, more customers have come forward about being charged higher prices than what was advertised on the store shelves.
Inspectors with Stinziano’s office visited 10 Dollar General stores in Franklin County, and discovered similar pricing discrepancies at eight of them.
NBC4 visited four Dollar General stores in and around Columbus, after the auditor’s office alerted managers to the pricing errors, and identified issues at two stores.
In one location, a can of SpaghettiOs advertised as $1.50 on the shelf rang up for $2.25. At another, a box of granola bars said to cost $3.50 on the shelf rang up for $3.85, and a bottle of body wash with a $2.00 price tag cost $2.25.
NBC4 has reached out for comment from Dollar General.
