Dollar General accused of unfair trade practices by Michigan, 18 other attorneys general

(FOX 2) - The Michigan Attorney General is among 19 prosecutors suing Dollar General over unfair trade practices, accusing them of making millions of dollars by charging more at the register than the advertised price on a product.

Dana Nessel, 18 attorneys general, and the Federal Trade Commission announced the lawsuit on Monday.

"Consumers everywhere deserve to be treated with respect in any store where they choose to spend their money," said Attorney General Nessel.

The suit was filed in a federal court in middle Tennessee.

Nessel sues Dollar General

Big picture view:

The lawsuit accuses Dollar General Corporation of running deceptive pricing practices for years by charging customers more at the register than the displayed price.

The complaint includes allegations of:

Thousands of Dollar General stores have taken advantage of vulnerable shoppers by extracting millions of dollars in unlawful overcharges with insufficient safeguards to prevent the practice.
Dollar General received tens of thousands of complaints from consumers across the country who say the company did not honor the advertised price, demonstrating widespread consumer harm and confirming that customers nationwide have been charged more than the advertised price.
Dollar General knows that it harms consumers by charging more at the register than the prices it advertises, as reflected by the numerous complaints it has received.

"I appreciate the efforts of the FTC and other states on this far-reaching investigation, and together we can put an end to these deceptive practices and restore some truth in pricing across the country."

Dig deeper:

A news release from the Michigan AG says Dollar General was aware of the problem and failed to implement solutions that address the issue.

In the complaint, a consumer shopping in August found eggs for $3.25. When she went to the register, a clerk rang up the eggs for $4.50.

"She refused to change the price. When I pointed out that you have to charge what is displayed. Her comment was that yesterday was her last day and she didn’t care," read the complaint.

The suit says Dollar General violated the Michigan Shopping Reform and Modernization Act.

The other states involved in the suit include: