21 States Sue Dollar General, Alleging Millions In Overcharges

The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states filed suit against Dollar General on Monday.

The complaint alleges that thousands of Dollar General stores charged customers more than the shelf prices, price tags and advertisements displayed. The filing claims those stores took advantage of shoppers by pulling in millions of dollars through overcharges without adequate safeguards. The complaint also says Dollar General collected tens of thousands of complaints from consumers about prices running higher than advertised, and did not put policies in place to fix the issue. Shares of Dollar General fell about 4% after the FTC announced the case. Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said Dollar General has imposed significant financial harm on communities and consumers who are already struggling to make their paychecks last. Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The states joining the FTC include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. Officials across the political spectrum are pointing to consumer protection work ahead of the midterm election next week. Shoppers are looking for discounts while food and gas prices remain elevated.

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