Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined the Federal Trade Commission and 19 other states in a lawsuit accusing Dollar General of routinely charging customers more at checkout than prices advertised on store shelves and in advertisements.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, October 26, in federal court in Tennessee, alleges the discount retailer engaged in deceptive pricing practices for years, resulting in millions of dollars in overcharges to customers nationwide.
According to the complaint, Dollar General received tens of thousands of customer complaints involving differences between advertised prices and amounts charged at checkout. Investigators allege the company was aware of the problems but failed to take adequate steps to correct them.
The complaint specifically identifies more than 29,000 complaints involving the failure to honor marked prices between January 2023 and March 2026.
The allegations are of interest to shoppers throughout Southern Illinois, where Dollar General operates numerous stores serving rural communities.
Raoul said the alleged pricing practices place an additional financial burden on families already struggling with the rising cost of basic necessities.
The lawsuit alleges violations of federal consumer protection laws, including the Federal Trade Commission Act, along with applicable Illinois consumer protection laws.
Federal officials and participating states are seeking monetary relief, civil penalties, and court-ordered changes to the company’s pricing practices.
Dollar General, which operates more than 21,000 stores nationwide, disputes the allegations.
The company says its goal is complete accuracy between shelf prices and register prices. Dollar General acknowledges that occasional discrepancies can occur but maintains that employees are instructed to correct pricing errors when customers bring them to their attention.
The retailer says it has strengthened its pricing procedures and intends to defend itself against the lawsuit.
Consumers are encouraged to carefully review their receipts and compare prices charged at checkout with those advertised on store shelves. Customers who discover discrepancies can request corrections from store employees and retain receipts as documentation.
The lawsuit does not establish that every Dollar General location engaged in improper pricing, and no specific Southern Illinois stores have been identified in the information released.
The case remains pending in federal court.