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Contacts:
Henry Marckres, Agency of Agriculture, (802) 828-3458
Kelly Loftus, Agency of Agriculture, (802) 828-3829
Monday, April 7, 2008
Montpelier, Vt. - The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets recently assessed penalties to more than fifteen retail establishments for violating Vermont retail pricing laws. The Dollar General Store, Rite Aid of Vermont, Kinney Drugs, and Mac’s Market are among the retail outlets that have been assessed penalties ranging from $420.00 to $4,255.00 for overcharging consumers for items purchased in their stores. This year to date, 134 inspections were conducted that resulted in no corrective action or assessment of penalties.
The violations were discovered during routine inspections conducted by inspectors from the Vermont Agency Agriculture’s Food Safety and Consumer Protection Division. In all the stores assessed a penalty, inspectors found that prices at the registers were higher than prices advertised on shelves for certain items. Those discrepancies ranged from 4 percent error to 12 percent. Rite Aid, Vermont alone had a range of scanner discrepancies from 4% error to 8% error with over $15,000 in penalties assessed.
“Even the slightest inaccuracy in pricing can have enormous cost impact to the consumer. This is especially true during times of economic strain when food and transportation budgets are squeezed even further with rising costs,” said Henry Marckres, Chief of the Division of Consumer Protection for the agency. “Our goal is to work cooperatively with Vermont businesses and to take corrective action when necessary to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again to protect consumers.”
“Laser scanner checkout systems fall under the state’s weights and measures laws which come under the jurisdiction of the Agency of Agriculture,” commented Mike Duane, assistant attorney general, who serves as the agency’s general counsel. “In most instances the charges are not contested and the stores have paid the penalties assessed. There was no evidence of any intentional wrong doing in any of these cases,” Duane said.
You can protect yourself, as well. Keep track of the price of items, especially items marked on sale, as you go through the store. Monitor these items as they are rung up at the check out. Also, it’s important to check your receipt before you leave the store and notify an employee of any discrepancies. For more information contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture at 802-828-2436 or visit www.vermontagriculture.com.
| Retailer |
Penalty |
| Dollar General, Colchester | $420.00 |
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GU Markets of VT, S. Burlington | $1,235.00 |
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GU Markets of VT, Swanton | $3,105.00 |
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Kinney Drugs, Lyndonville | $820.00 |
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Kinney Drugs, S. Burlington | $1,305.00 |
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Mac’s Market, Essex | $3,510.00 |
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Mac’s Market, Essex Junction | $200.00 |
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Mac’s Market, Woodstock | $1,305.00 |
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Natural Provisions, Williston | $970.00 |
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Rite Aid, St. Albans | $1,305.00 |
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Rite Aide, Derby | $1,605.00 |
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Rite Aid, Lyndonville | $4,255.00 |
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Rite Aid, Colchester | $1,035.00 |
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Rite Aid, Essex | $1,305.00 |
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Rite Aid, Enosburg | $1,905.00 |
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Rite Aid, St. Johnsbury | $2,070.00 |
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Rite Aid, Randolph | $2,140.00 |
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Rite Aid Pharmacy, Burlington | $1,035.00 |
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Shelburne Supermarket, Shelburne | $890.00 |
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