RALEIGH – North Carolina has joined a federal lawsuit accusing Dollar General of charging shoppers more at checkout than the prices displayed on shelves, tags and advertisements.
The Federal Trade Commission and state partners filed the complaint Oct. 26 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is named as a plaintiff on behalf of the state. The case remains pending, and the allegations are not findings of liability.
The complaint alleges a recurring pricing problem rather than isolated mistakes. It says Dollar General received at least 29,265 complaints categorized as failures to honor marked prices between Jan. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2026. That is a nationwide figure, not a count of complaints from North Carolina.
Dollar General disputes the lawsuit’s characterization of its conduct. In an Oct. 26 statement, the company said its goal is complete accuracy between shelf and register prices, acknowledged that occasional discrepancies occur and said employees are expected to correct them for customers.
The retailer also challenged the FTC’s proposed consumer-redress calculation and its legal theory for recovering money. It said it would vigorously defend the case while remaining willing to discuss a resolution. Those are the company’s positions, not court rulings.
Separate North Carolina inspection records provide local context. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported Oct. 19 that a Dollar General in Swannanoa had been fined a total of $5,345 after failed pricing inspections. An August follow-up found 32 overcharges in a 300-item sample. The department said the store would be reinspected.
The department’s inspection program compares advertised and checkout prices. Overcharge rates above 2% trigger follow-up checks; penalties can follow a failed reinspection. Those administrative records are distinct from the new federal lawsuit.
The suit seeks an injunction, monetary relief, civil penalties and other remedies. North Carolina brings its claims under the state’s consumer-protection law. The court will decide whether the plaintiffs establish the alleged violations.
Sources
- Federal court complaint, filed Oct. 26, 2026
- NCDA&CS inspection and penalty record, Oct. 19, 2026
- Dollar General response, Oct. 26, 2026
Photo Credit: File photograph of a Dollar General storefront in Durham in 2008 by Ildar Sagdejev (Specious), via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Image cropped and resized; photographic adaptation licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Context image, not a photograph of a location identified in the inspection records discussed here.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.