Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a bipartisan coalition of 20 attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission in suing the Dollar General Corporation, alleging the retailer routinely charged customers more at the register than the prices shown on shelves, price tags and advertisements.
The lawsuit, announced Monday, alleges Dollar General engaged in long-running deceptive pricing practices that cost consumers millions of dollars.
"Our lawsuit alleges that Dollar General has generated millions of dollars by regularly and repeatedly charging shoppers more at the register than the prices it advertises," Raoul said. "Overcharging for products at a time when many basic necessities have become less affordable harms vulnerable families and consumers. I will continue to work with my fellow attorneys general and our federal partners to hold businesses that break the law accountable."
According to the complaint, Dollar General has for years repeatedly mislabeled prices, overcharged consumers and failed to correct the issue despite extensive corporate knowledge of the problem, Raoul's office said. The coalition alleges the company received tens of thousands of complaints from consumers across the country who said it did not honor the advertised price, and that it failed to implement adequate policies to address the problem despite being aware of it.
Raoul and the coalition allege the company's practices violate the FTC Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, as well as Illinois consumer protection laws.
Joining Raoul and the FTC in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.