GREENSBORO, N.C. — What happens when you see the sale price on the shelf, but that price doesn't match when you get to the register? Most of the time, it means you're either overcharged or inconvenienced in trying to get the lower price honored.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently collected fines from 14 stores for price scanning errors where the shelf price doesn't match the registered price.
In the Triad area, there are three Family Dollar stores in Forsyth County, a Dollar General in Wilkes County, and a Michaels store in Alamance County. (You'll find details on all 14 stores below)
The fines ranged from $1,300 per store to $47.000. Some of the stores failed ten inspections dating back to 2022 all the way through January of this year.
"The system is updated digitally and then it's up to the managers and employees to go switch those shelf tags manually. When inflation exploded in 2021, we saw the prices scan fail because it was so difficult to keep up with the prices and inflation, but it's still on the store to change the prices whether it's difficult or not," said Chad Parker, NCDA Standards Division, Measurement Manager.
Inspectors come to stores un-announced once a year and check 50 items to match the price on the shelf to the registered price. If the store fails, the inspector comes back every 60 days until the store passes. Inspectors will also test a store if they get a complaint from you, showing the price on the shelf wasn't the price at the register.
In this case, the customer is right to ask for the shelf price to be honored, but the consumer may not get the lowest price.
"Our law states if the price is posted then it must be correct. We do not have a law to force the store to give the customer a lower price. Our statute gives us the ability to lay fines on the store," said Parker.
Consumers who would like to file a complaint about scanner errors can call the Standards Division at 984-236-4750.
Here are the details from the NCAD Standards Division:
The following are civil penalties recorded in the first quarter of 2024:
(Alamance) Michaels at 1455 University Drive, Burlington, paid $2,900 in penalties for three failed inspections. An initial inspection in March 2023 found an error rate of 12% based on six overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in April 2023 and July 2023 found error rates of 7% and 5.33% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in September 2023.
(Forsyth) Family Dollar at 1019 Rural Hall Road, Rural Hall paid $23,560 in penalties for six failed inspections. An initial inspection in June 2022 found an error rate of 16% based on eight overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in July 2022, September 2022, November 2022, February 2023 and April 2023 found error rates ranging from 11.33% to 6.33% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in June 2023.
(Forsyth) Family Dollar at 1425 Waughtown St., Winston-Salem paid $27,345 in penalties for seven failed inspections. An initial inspection in November 2022 found an error rate of 22% based on 11 overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in January 2023, April 2023, June 2023, August 2023, October 2023 and January 2024 found error rates ranging from 13.33% to 4.33% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store was last inspected in March and assessed a $5,000 penalty for an error rate of 7.67% based on 23 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be reinspected.
(Forsyth) Family Dollar at 550 MLK Blvd., Winston-Salem paid $42,215 in penalties for 10 failed inspections. An initial inspection in February 2022 found an error rate of 16% based on eight overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in April 2022, July 2022, September 2022, November 2022, March 2023, June 2023, August 2023, October 2023 and January 2024 found error rates ranging from 25.67% to 5.67% for overcharges in 300-item lots. The store was last inspected in March and assessed a $5,000 penalty for an error rate of 6% based on 18 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be reinspected.
(Hertford) Family Dollar at 1216 East Memorial Drive, Ahoskie paid $45,000 in penalties for 10 failed inspections. An initial inspection in August 2022 found an error rate of 24% based on 12 overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in September 2022, October 2022, December 2022, February 2023, April 2023, June 2023, August 2023, October 2023 and January 2024 found error rates ranging from 33% to 8% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in March.
(Hertford) Family Dollar at 1678 Ocean Drive, Hertford paid $8,775 for four failed inspections. An initial inspection in June 2023 found an error rate of 10% based on five overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in July 2023, September 2023 and November 2023 found error rates ranging from 5% to 4.67 % based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store was assessed an additional $4,875 penalty for a failed inspection in January based on an error rate of 4.67 % for 14 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed inspection in March.
(Mecklenburg) Family Dollar at 8500-C Pineville Mathews Road, Pineville paid $23,480 in penalties for seven failed inspections. An initial inspection in December 2022 found an error rate of 14% based on seven overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in January 2023, March 2023, May 2023, August 2023, October 2023 and December 2023 found error rates ranging from 18.33% to 6.67% for overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in February.
(Mecklenburg) Family Dollar at 4130 Rozzelles Ferry Road, Charlotte paid $11,055 in penalties for four failed inspections. An initial inspection in July found an error rate of 12% based on six overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in August 2023, October 2023 and January 2024 found error rates ranging from 10.33% to 8.67% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in March.
(Mecklenburg) Family Dollar at 2716 West Sugar Creek Road, Charlotte paid $7,680 for four failed inspections. An initial inspection in July 2023 found an error rate of 21% based on 21 overcharges in a 100-item lot. Follow-up inspections in August 2023, October 2023 and December 2023 found error rates ranging from 7.33% to 4% in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in February.
(Mecklenburg) Family Dollar at 4005 Sunset Road, Charlotte paid $2,610 in penalties. An initial inspection in October of 2023 found an error rate of 7% based on seven overcharges in a 100-item lot. A follow-up inspection in November 2023 found an error rate of 6.67% based on 20 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store has been reinspected in January and March and assessed an additional $10,000 in penalties based on error rates of 19.33% and 12.33% in 300-item lots. The store will be reinspected.
(Stanly) Family Dollar at 103 North Main Street, Norwood paid $43,530 in penalties for 11 failed inspections. An initial inspection in January 2022 found an error rate of 16% based on eight overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in January 2022, April 2022, July 2022, September 2022, November 2022, January 2023, April 2023, June 2023, August 2023 and October 2023 found error rates ranging from 13.33% to 3% for overcharges in 300-item lots. The store passed inspection in December 2023.
(Wake) Sheetz at 5200 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh paid $2,955 in penalties. An initial inspection in October 2023 found an error rate of 20% based on five overcharges in a 25-item lot. A follow-up inspection in November 2023 found an error rate of 15% based on 15 overcharges in a 100-item lot. The store passed inspection in January.
(Wilkes) Dollar General at 5172 Rock Creek Road, Hays paid $1,335 in penalties. An initial inspection in October 2023 found an error rate of 8% based on four overcharges in a 50-item lot. A follow-up inspection in November found an error rate of 3% based on nine overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be reinspected.
(Union) Family Dollar at 7907 Idlewild Road, Indian Trail paid $14,430 in penalties for six failed inspections. An initial inspection in March 2023 found an error rate of 18% based on nine overcharges in a 50-item lot. Follow-up inspections in April 2023, June 2023, August 2023, October 2023 and December 2023 found error rates ranging from 8% to 3% based on overcharges in 300-item lots. The store was last inspected in February and assessed a $4,420 penalty for an error rate of 5.67% based on 17 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store will be reinspected.