CHARLOTTE — You’ll want to pay close attention to your store receipts. Two stores, one in Union County and one in Mecklenburg County, were caught overcharging customers at the register.
It happened at a Family Dollar in Pineville, and a Circle K in Indian Trail, according to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services this month.
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The stores were fined by state inspectors after repeated price-scanning errors. The department conducted unannounced inspections of the price-scanner systems to check for accuracy. If a store has more than a 2% error rate on overcharges, inspectors conduct a more intensive follow-up.
The Family Dollar on Pineville-Matthews Road had a 17% error rate during an inspection in June, and a follow-up inspection in July found a 9% error rate. That store was fined $3,615.
The Circle K on Chestnut Lane store failed four inspections this year. An inspection in July found an error rate of 6%. The store was fined $1,705 in August. The store did pass an inspection in September.
The department says undercharges are also reported but don’t count against a store.
“Accurate pricing is essential to maintaining the public’s trust and a fair marketplace, and our inspectors play an important role in protecting consumers,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement.
Seventeen other stores across the state were fined for overcharging customers.
Officials say shoppers should double-check receipts before leaving stores and report any pricing mistakes they find.