NEW YORK – The Federal Trade Commission has sued the bargain chain Dollar General for what it characterized as “long-running deceptive pricing practices” by charging customers more once they reach the register than the prices that are displayed on shelves and in advertisements.
Twenty states joined in the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. It said that Dollar General failed to correct the issue despite what it said was “extensive corporate knowledge of the problem.”
“Dollar General has betrayed the trust of millions of American consumers and imposed significant financial harm on communities and consumers who are already struggling to make their paychecks last,” wrote Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Dollar General, based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, did not immediately return a request for comment from The Associated Press.
I hate to have to say it, but whether you’re buying in a retail store, at a kiosk in a restaurant, or using an app and picking your stuff up… take a few seconds to check the receipt. The US fined Target for this shit several years ago, and Walmart’s trying to normalize it as states move to ban these practices.
And DG, Shake Shack, Target, and Walmart are not the only ones trying to get away with this shit.
Is the situation in US really that bad ?
Yes and no. Let me explain.
It’s bad in that, yes, these clearly illegal and malicious business practices are widespread and nearly every major corporation is trying some flavor of it, as Donald’s admin has been woefully inadequate (likely on purpose) in regulating new technology in the business space.
But, like with COVID, where Donald isn’t leading, the states are. Three states have already banned surveillance pricing as well as the city of Seattle. This time next year bans will probably exist in 2/3 of the US states, if I had to guess. If we elect more DSA’s in 2028 we might get meaningful nationwide regulation.
Yes. Deregulation is a helluva drug.
Well, for one thing, it hasn’t been ‘a dollar’ for years. Also, now they’re buying shit on Temu and marking it up dozens of times.
So, you know the old adage in marketing that if you charge more for something it gives the impression of prestige? They do the opposite, where if the product itself is cheap shit, you feel you must be getting a bargain, even if it’s overpriced.
