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SUGGESTED VIDEO: Walmart prices to go up due to tariffs
Walmart customers could be seeing higher prices the next time they go shopping. This comes as trade tensions run high between the US and China.
LOS ANGELES - Walmart will pay $5.6 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit in California. The lawsuit alleged that the retail giant overcharged customers and sold products with less weight than what was listed on the label.
The backstory:
This is not the first time Walmart has faced such issues.
In 2012, the company paid a $2.1 million fine for overcharging consumers, which violated a previous judgment from 2008.
The current civil complaint was filed by a team of district attorney’s offices, including Santa Clara County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, and Sonoma County.
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It alleged that Walmart unlawfully charged customers prices higher than the lowest advertised price, violating California's false advertising and unfair competition laws.
By the numbers:
The court ordered Walmart to pay $5.5 million in civil penalties and an additional $139,908.92 to cover investigation costs.
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What they're saying:
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, "when someone brings an item to the register to be scanned, the price must be right. They expect it. California expects it. My office expects it – and we will apply the law to make sure of it."
What you can do:
Walmart, which operates 280 stores in California, is required to maintain employees responsible for ensuring price and weight accuracy in its California stores as part of the settlement.
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Consumers who wish to report pricing or weight issues can contact the Weights and Measures Division by submitting an online complaint form or calling 1-866-SCANNER or 408-918-4601.
The Source: The information for this story is based on a consumer protection lawsuit settlement reached by Walmart with a team of district attorneys' offices, including those from Santa Clara, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Sonoma counties. The details of the civil complaint and the settlement terms were provided by these offices.