9 investigates local stores charging the wrong prices

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Holiday shopping is set to ramp up this week, and if consumers aren't careful, they could pay too much for some items on their wish lists.

Channel 9 received complaints about people being overcharged at some stores, so reporter Jenna Deery followed a state inspector looking for stores ringing up wrong prices.

• LIST: Stores that failed inspections

For 10 years, Buddy Dutton has gone from store to store in Mecklenburg County. It's his job with State Consumer Services to inspect stores and make sure they aren't charging customers more than what's advertised.

"We tend to get a few more complaints than what we normally do during the holiday season," Dutton said.

• RAW CLIP The importance of store inspectors:

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Channel 9 tagged along with Dutton at the Walmart on Albemarle Road, where he headed in with a clipboard and a scanner to check the prices of 50 random items. Walmart would not let Channel 9 go into the store with him.

Two Walmarts, one off Mount Holly-Huntersville Road in Charlotte and another off Thunder Road in Concord, failed their first inspections this year, but the store on Albemarle Road passed with just one 60-cent overcharge on Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

More than one overcharge is considered failing.

A Target store on Cox Road in Gastonia failed two price inspections this year for overcharging customers. If a store fails two inspections, it is subject to civil penalties. That store had to pay $1,635 in fines.

Channel 9 followed Dutton to a Target store on Albemarle Road, which passed his inspection despite an overcharge of $10.60 on pruning shears.

The last stop with Dutton was at a Walgreens on W.T. Harris Boulevard. The drugstore chain is facing a lawsuit in Missouri for overcharging customers.

According to state records, three stores failed first inspections in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties over the past year, but errors were corrected on second inspections.

Dutton found only one overcharge, on a skin care product, while Channel 9 was with him, giving the store a passing grade.

• RAW CLIP Walgreens passes price inspection:

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Dutton said overcharges often happen because store employees neglect to keep up with price changes. The state can fine the ones that continually ring up wrong prices in order to get the store to correct the problem, but protection from paying too much can also come from a shopper paying attention.

"I guess you always double check, you know? I don't automatically assume that they are right," shopper Brittany Garcia said.

About 5 percent of more than 2,000 stores across the state were fined this year for overcharging, and that includes four stores in Cabarrus and Gaston counties.

If you notice a store is ringing up the wrong prices, you can file a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and it will follow up with an inspection.

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