FTC Says Dollar General Misled Shoppers on Prices

A Monday lawsuit brought by 20 states and the Federal Trade Commission accuses Dollar General of ringing up products above the prices presented on shelves, tags and in advertising. Authorities say the pricing problems continued for years at thousands of locations, affecting millions of purchases and producing millions of dollars in allegedly unlawful extra charges. Dollar General operates 21,000 stores nationwide.

The FTC says thousands of customer complaints showed that advertised prices were not honored at checkout and indicated the company knew shoppers were being harmed. For Spokane households watching everyday expenses, the allegations matter because the agency says many customers rely on the chain’s advertised discounts when managing tight budgets. Differences at the register can make household spending harder to track.

The complaint was submitted in federal court in Tennessee, Dollar General’s home state. The company said it learned about the investigation in early February and maintains that its goal is complete agreement between register and shelf prices. It said employees are expected to correct occasional discrepancies and that price-accuracy procedures have improved in recent years. Dollar General also disputed the monetary demand made by FTC staff and said it will vigorously defend itself. The lawsuit asks for a permanent injunction, financial relief and other remedies.