CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Several stores in Mecklenburg, Union, and Gaston counties have been caught charging more at the register than the price listed on shelves, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division.
The NCDA&CS fined 11 stores across eight counties for price-scanning errors in the second quarter of 2025, including multiple locations in the greater Charlotte area. Three stores in Mecklenburg County, one in Union, and one in Gaston were among those penalized.
- Charlotte/Mecklenburg County
- Circle K at 4923 South Tryon St. was fined $1,005 after inspectors found repeated overcharges. In one visit, 13% of items scanned higher than the shelf price
- Family Dollar at 4455 Central Ave. was fined $4,920 after 18 items were overcharged during a February inspection. While it later passed inspection in April, the penalty remained
- Family Dollar at 2100 Beatties Ford Road received $2,790 in fines after two inspections found error rates as high as 20%. That store is now under regular reinspection
- Indian Trail/Union County
- Family Dollar at 7909 Idlewild Road faced some of the highest fines in the state, paying $15,000 in the second quarter alone. The store has been under scrutiny since 2023, with multiple failed inspections showing continued overcharges
- Gastonia/Gaston County
- Family Dollar at 2559 West Franklin Blvd. was fined $1,535 for overcharging 11 items in a 300-item inspection. This store has a history of failed inspections, but passed in February, officials said
If you spot a price that doesn’t match what you’re charged at checkout, you can report it. The state encourages customers to call the Standards Division at 984-236-4750 to file a complaint…