CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A popular discount retailer with dozens of locations around the Tri-State faces mounting legal trouble. This fight is over how much you pay. The operators of Dollar General stores are accused of charging more at the register than is advertised on the shelves. Arguments and testimony were scheduled to begin Wednesday for a temporary restraining order. The Attorney General's office is attempting to have the judge force Dollar General to comply with Ohio consumer law. Dollar General contends that the state hasn't even proven it isn't complying.
Attorneys for the state and Dollar General were scheduled to square off Wednesday. But the case actually never went on record, as attorneys left the room as soon as they arrived and the judge allowed them to work on negotiations throughout the day.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed suit late last year because his office had received more than 100 complaints of Dollar General stores advertising one price at the shelves, then overcharging at the register. County Auditors from around the state also received complaints and did their own audits.
In Butler County, all of the stores overcharged on items investigators purchased during the month of October. At the Dollar General on Millville Avenue in Hamilton, the audit showed the store overcharged on more than 70% of the items purchased.
Local 12 went in Wednesday to put the store to the test. Local 12’s David Winter took pictures of the items on the shelves which we were purchasing with their advertised prices.
Winter bought $25 worth of items: cereal, bottled Starbucks drinks, Gatorade, plastic plates, brownie mix, candy bars, soup, etc. All the items they bought rang up correctly at the register.
An attorney who is representing a man from Cincinnati in a potential class action suit against Dollar General was in the courtroom Wednesday keeping tabs on the AG's suit. He says his client was overcharged at several Dollar General stores.
"It's not clear whether this is a system error, some policy errors about some routine price discrepancies,” said Brian Flick of Dann Law.
"Does it really matter?" Local 12 asked.
"It really doesn't,” he replied. “Our state consumer protection statute is very clear. If you're overcharged, there may be civil liability."
Local 12 asked the manager at that Dollar General store where we went shopping Wednesday if she has noticed a change at the register. She says corporate has been working hard to fix whatever problems it was having.
The hearing is scheduled to continue Thursday, but there is no word on whether it actually will. There was also no word from Dollar General—its attorneys weren't talking, and Local 12 did not hear back from corporate headquarters.