Lawsuit Alleges Dollar General Customers Paid More Than Advertised Prices

RALEIGH – North Carolina has joined the Federal Trade Commission and 19 other states in a lawsuit accusing Dollar General of repeatedly charging customers more at the register than prices displayed on store shelves and in advertisements.

Dollar General disputes the allegations and says it will vigorously defend the lawsuit.

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

The lawsuit alleges pricing discrepancies have occurred for years at Dollar General stores across the country and that the company failed to adequately correct the problem despite consumer complaints, state inspections and previous enforcement actions.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined the case on behalf of the state.

North Carolina is a significant market for Dollar General. According to the company’s most recent annual report, it operated 1,150 stores in the state as of Feb. 27, the second-highest total in the country behind Texas.

What The Lawsuit Alleges

According to the complaint, customers in numerous instances selected merchandise based on one advertised or shelf price but were charged a higher amount when they reached the register.

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

The complaint also points to state pricing inspections and previous enforcement actions involving the retailer.

Federal and state officials allege Dollar General knew pricing discrepancies were recurring but failed to put adequate safeguards in place to prevent customers from being overcharged.

Those claims are allegations. The lawsuit remains pending, and no court has determined that Dollar General violated the law.

North Carolina Inspections

Separate from the new lawsuit, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regularly conducts unannounced inspections to determine whether prices displayed in stores match prices charged at checkout.

Just last week, the department reported that 10 Dollar General locations in North Carolina had paid fines associated with failed price-scanning inspections during the third quarter of 2026.

The state begins additional inspections when more than 2 percent of items checked result in overcharges. Stores that fail follow-up inspections can be fined and are subject to continued reinspections.

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

What North Carolina Is Seeking

The lawsuit alleges Dollar General’s practices 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 return money it contends was improperly collected from customers.

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 Responds

Dollar General issued a statement Monday disputing the government’s characterization 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 occur despite its policies and procedures.

Dollar General also challenged the amount of money sought during discussions with federal regulators and said it believes portions of the government’s legal theory are incorrect.

The company said it attempted 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 also said it remains willing to discuss a resolution with regulators.

What Shoppers Can Do

North Carolina officials are encouraging consumers to check their receipts before leaving stores.

Customers who believe they were charged more than an advertised or shelf price can first ask the retailer to correct the discrepancy.

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

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