Dollar General, the retail giant that promises “convenience, quality brands and low prices”, has agreed to pay at least $15m to settle claims that it overcharged customers at many of its 20,000 US stores.
The settlement resolves lawsuits in multiple states alleging that shoppers at the dollar-store chain often see one price on the shelf but pay a higher price at the register. Customers anywhere in the US may be eligible for repayments.
It is the second settlement Dollar General has signed this month. The company also agreed to pay the state of Pennsylvania $1.55m to resolve similar allegations.
The claims in the consumer lawsuits and the state investigation mirrored the findings of a 3 December Guardian investigation, which revealed that Dollar General stores have failed more than 4,300 government price-accuracy inspections in 23 states since January 2022. Many of the stores are located in rural towns and low-income urban neighborhoods with limited retail.
The five lawsuits that sparked the national settlement targeted the company’s operations in New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma and South Carolina. They include two cases in New Jersey, one in state court and one in federal court. The suit involving the company’s practices in South Carolina was filed in Tennessee, where Dollar General is headquartered.