Investigation Reveals Frequent Overcharging at Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores
A Guardian investigation has uncovered widespread discrepancies between shelf prices and checkout prices at Dollar General and Family Dollar stores, leading to frequent consumer overcharges.
In Windsor, North Carolina, a Family Dollar store inspection found that 69 out of 300 items checked were overcharged, representing a 23% error rate. Some shelf price tags were months out of date. The January 2023 inspection marked the store's fourth consecutive failure, though penalties remain capped at $5,000 per inspection.
Since January 2022, Dollar General has failed more than 4,300 price-accuracy inspections across 23 states, while Family Dollar has failed over 2,100 inspections in 20 states. Notable high error rates include a Dollar General in Hamilton, Ohio, with a 76% failure rate in October 2022, Family Dollar in Bound Brook, New Jersey (68% in February 2023), and Family Dollar in Lorain, Ohio (58% in September/October 2025).
Legal actions have resulted in settlements such as the Arizona Attorney General's $600,000 settlement with Family Dollar in May 2025 over consumer-fraud concerns, and Colorado’s $400,000 settlement with Dollar General following failures in 15 of 23 inspections in October 2025. Both chains have also settled with Ohio and, in addition, Dollar General reached settlements with New Jersey and Vermont authorities.
A Dayton, Ohio shopper, Linda Davis, 64, relying on social security and public transit, reported being overcharged on 12 of her 23 items purchased and sought assistance from the state attorney general.
Industry sources indicate that overcharges primarily result from shelf labels not updating automatically when prices change, compounded by staffing shortages. Stores often operate with only one or two employees on duty, causing delays in updating shelf tags and price changes.
Both Dollar General and Family Dollar declined interview requests but issued statements affirming their commitment to pricing accuracy. Dollar General noted legal arguments asserting that achieving a 100% match between shelf and scanned prices is not feasible.
