NCDA&CS - Agricultural Review Four stores pay fines for price-scanning errors

Four stores pay fines for price-scanning errors

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division has collected fines from stores in Cabarrus, Davidson, Durham and Pitt counties for excessive price-scanning errors.

The Standards Division conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of a business’ price-scanner system to check for accuracy between the prices advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. If a store has more than a 2 percent error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the findings with the store manager and conduct a more intensive follow-up inspection at a later date. Undercharges are also reported, but do not count against a store.

Penalties are assessed if a store fails the follow-up inspection. In addition to the penalties paid, the store will be subject to re-inspection every 60 days from the last inspection until it meets the 2-percent-or-less rate. Additional penalties may be assessed if the store fails a re-inspection.

“Stores have a responsibility to make sure that the price listed on the shelf matches the price charged at the register,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “We want shoppers to be confident that at grocery stores and retail outlets they are paying the shelf price they expect and not more. Consumers can contact our Standards Division at 919-707-3225 to register a complaint.”

Following are stores that paid civil penalties in the last quarter of 2015:

CVS #5463 at 9805 Rocky River Road, Harrisburg, paid $1,395 in civil penalties. An initial inspection in September found an error rate of 6 percent, based on three overcharges in a 50-item lot. A second inspection in October found an error rate of 7 percent, based on 21 overcharges on a 300-item lot. The store will be re-inspected.
Save-A-Lot Food Store #575 at 292 Talbert Blvd., Lexington, paid $2,295 in civil penalties. An initial inspection in August found an error rate of 6 percent, based on three overcharges in a 50-item lot. A second inspection in September found an error rate of 2.33 percent, based on seven overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed a re-inspection in November with a .67 percent error rate.
Walmart #4369 at 1010 Martin Luther King Parkway, Durham, paid $1,125 in civil penalties. An initial inspection in September found an error rate of 6 percent, based on six overcharges in a 100-item lot. A second inspection in October found an error rate of 3 percent, based on nine overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store passed a re-inspection in December with a 2 percent error rate.
Dollar General #13431 at 4085 Dickinson Ave., Greenville, paid a total of $2,427.50 in civil penalties. An initial inspection in June found an error rate of 8 percent, based on four overcharges in a 50-item lot. A second inspection in August found an error rate of 3.33 percent, based on 10 overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store paid $787.50 in civil penalties at that time. A third inspection in October found an error rate of 2.67 percent, based on eight overcharges in a 300-item lot. The store paid $1,640 in civil penalties. The store passed re-inspection in December with a .67 percent error rate.