Lawmakers Ask FTC to Investigate Overcharging by Major Retail Chains
Thirty-four members of Congress have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate widespread overcharging by brand-name retailers. In a letter dated 28 October, the lawmakers urged the agency, the U.S. body that polices unfair business practices and consumer fraud, to act. The letter was addressed to FTC Chair Andrew N. Ferguson and was written by House Democrats from 17 states and the District of Columbia. U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski of Illinois was its lead author.
The letter was sent in direct response to investigations by the Guardian into four large chains: Dollar General, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven and Circle K. The newspaper's reporting found pervasive mismatches between the prices shown on shelf labels and the prices charged at the register.
Government inspections point to a long-running pattern at the two dollar-store chains. Dollar General failed more than 4,300 government price-accuracy inspections in 23 states over three years, and Family Dollar failed 2,100 inspections in 20 states over the same period. Dollar General's failures occurred between 2022 and 2025, according to Guardian reporting from April. Government inspections also found overcharges as high as 39% on some Dollar General items.
A separate Guardian investigation published on 24 September found a similar pattern at 7-Eleven and Circle K. It described overcharges on snacks, beverages, toiletries, tobacco and medications, and gasoline pump prices that exceeded the prices on road signs.
Regulatory action has also moved. On 26 October, two days before the congressional letter, the FTC and 20 states filed a federal lawsuit against Dollar General. The FTC's announcement alleged that the company had for years repeatedly mislabeled prices and charged consumers more than the advertised price for many products. The agency said the practice affected millions of purchases.
Dollar General responded that it would defend the FTC litigation vigorously and that it aims for 100% price accuracy. Earlier, on 22 October, the company agreed to a settlement of nearly $1.9 million related to overcharging, according to the Guardian. In April, Utah passed a new law aimed at overcharges at dollar stores.
