Dollar General Accused in Lawsuit of Charging Shoppers Above Posted Prices

RALEIGH – North Carolina has joined the Federal Trade Commission and 19 other states in a lawsuit alleging that Dollar General repeatedly charged shoppers more at checkout than the prices shown on shelf tags and in advertisements.

Dollar General rejects the claims and says it will strongly contest the case.

The 95-page complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, where Dollar General is based.

According to the lawsuit, pricing mistakes have persisted for years at Dollar General stores nationwide, and the company did not adequately address the issue despite consumer complaints, state inspections and prior enforcement efforts.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is participating in the case on the state’s behalf.

North Carolina is one of Dollar General’s major markets. The company’s most recent annual report said it had 1,150 stores in the state, the second-largest number in the country after Texas.

What the lawsuit says

The complaint says shoppers in many cases chose items based on an advertised or shelf price, only to be charged a higher amount at the register.

It also alleges that Dollar General received 29,265 customer complaints nationwide between Jan. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2026, categorized by the company as “Did Not Honor Marked Price.”

The filing further cites state pricing inspections and earlier enforcement actions involving the retailer.

Federal and state officials say Dollar General was aware the discrepancies were recurring but failed to put sufficient protections in place to keep customers from being overcharged.

These are allegations only. The lawsuit is still pending, and no court has ruled that Dollar General broke the law.

North Carolina inspections

Separate from the new case, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regularly carries out unannounced inspections to check whether shelf prices match the amounts charged at checkout.

The department recently reported that 10 Dollar General locations in North Carolina had paid fines tied to failed price-scanning inspections during the third quarter of 2026.

When more than 2% of checked items are overcharged, the state begins additional inspections. Stores that fail follow-up checks can be fined and remain subject to further reinspections.

The stores listed in the latest enforcement report were outside Johnston County.

What North Carolina wants

The lawsuit says Dollar General’s conduct violated North Carolina’s Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

North Carolina is asking the court to order the company to stop the alleged practices and reimburse money the state says was improperly collected from shoppers.

The state is also seeking civil penalties of up to $5,000 for each knowing violation of North Carolina law, along with attorneys’ fees and other costs.

Dollar General’s response

Dollar General issued a statement disputing the government’s description of its pricing practices.

The company said its goal is “100% accuracy between shelf and register prices in every store” and acknowledged that occasional discrepancies can happen despite its policies and procedures.

Dollar General also disputed the amount of money sought during talks with federal regulators and said it believes parts of the government’s legal theory are wrong.

The company said it had tried to reach an agreement with the FTC before the lawsuit was filed and was surprised when the case was brought by the federal agency and 20 states.

“We will defend this litigation vigorously,” Dollar General said.

The company added that it remains open to discussing a resolution with regulators.

What shoppers can do

North Carolina officials are urging consumers to review their receipts before leaving stores.

Customers who think they were charged more than an advertised or shelf price should first ask the retailer to fix the discrepancy.

Price-scanning complaints may also be filed with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Standards Division, which can be reached at 984-236-4750.

The federal lawsuit seeks money for consumers, civil penalties and changes intended to prevent future pricing discrepancies.