Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is announcing an agreement that averts a temporary restraining order sought by Yost against the Tennessee-based retailer over allegations of deceptive pricing. Multiple county auditors in Ohio have inspected Dollar General stores and report that many of the prices displayed on the Dollar General shelves did not match the prices charged at the checkout.
The agreement, reached this week in the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, outlines the terms and conditions that Dollar General must implement.
In general, the agreement requires Dollar General to take steps to ensure that shelf prices match the charged prices. Dollar General employees will also be required to charge a product’s shelf price if customers contend that they are being charged more at checkout. In instances where a price override is necessary, the store must take steps to correct the discrepancy. The company is also required to educate all employees about the policy and to post signs in its Ohio stores informing customers of the policy.
Among other things, the order also:
• Requires district managers to perform price checks for at least 25 items in each Ohio store every 45 days. If more than five items show discrepancies, the corporate office must be notified.
• Requires Dollar General stores to notify the corporate office in the event that a price verification report conducted by a county auditor indicates a fail rate of more than 2%. Notification must occur within two days and discrepancies must then be corrected.
The stipulated order does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of Dollar General or an admission that a discrepancy exists between shelf prices and charged prices in any particular instance.