Jacob Ogles
Florida shoppers should watch the cash register to make sure holiday discounts ring up correctly.
A shopping sweep by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found four retail locations out of 100 checked failed to meet accuracy standards. At those sites, between 4% and 20% of items did not ring up with the advertised pricing.
Officials ordered those items be pulled from shelves until problems could be resolved.
“While finishing any last-minute holiday shopping, it’s crucial that consumers pay close attention to what they’re being charged at the checkout counter — especially for items marked for a holiday special,” said Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
“Whether it’s a system error or mistake by an employee, items can ring up incorrectly. Make sure you’re paying the correct, fair price and if you think you there’s been an error, reach out to our Department and file a consumer complaint.”
The random check on retail pricing was done during a peak shopping time of year, ahead of Christmas and other retail holidays. State officials require at least 98% of items at a retailer to check in correctly for a passing grade on inspections.
That’s the threshold set by the Examination Procedure for Price Verification, recommended by the National Conference on Weights and Measures.
For the recent sweep, officials researched advertised holiday sales and selected more than 2,600 items on shelves at 100 different locations around the state.
The price check comes during a busy year for retail, when shoppers are expected to increase November and December shopping by between 3.8% and 4.2% over last year, according to the National Retail Federation. That means consumers may spend more than $730 billion in those two months alone.
FDACS officials advised shoppers to remain vigilant and wary. Any consumers with complaints are encouraged to report them at FloridaConsumerHelp.com or to call 1-800-HELP-FLA. Spanish speakers can also call 1-800-FL-AYUDA.
