Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined the Federal Trade Commission and 19 states in a lawsuit accusing Dollar General Corporation of repeatedly charging customers more at checkout than the prices advertised on store shelves, price tags and advertisements.

According to a news release from Marshall's office, the lawsuit alleges the discount retailer engaged in deceptive pricing practices for years, generating millions of dollars in unlawful overcharges while failing to adequately address the problem despite widespread consumer complaints and corporate knowledge of the issue.

The complaint was filed by the FTC and a coalition of states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

“The price on the shelf is supposed to be the price you pay. We believe that Dollar General advertised one price and charged another at the register, and Alabama families who count every dollar were the ones who paid for it. We are joining with nineteen states and the FTC because this isn’t a one-off,” Marshall said in the release.

According to the complaint, thousands of Dollar General stores have overcharged shoppers, including vulnerable consumers, while maintaining insufficient safeguards to prevent pricing discrepancies.

The complaint also alleges that Dollar General received tens of thousands of complaints from consumers nationwide who reported being charged more at checkout than the advertised prices. Those complaints, according to the filing, demonstrate the widespread nature of the alleged misconduct and the resulting financial harm to consumers.

Despite repeated reports of the problem, Dollar General allegedly failed to implement adequate policies and practices to prevent further overcharges, the complaint states.

The FTC and participating states allege that the company's practices violate the FTC Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and state consumer protection laws, including Alabama's Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The lawsuit seeks to address the alleged deceptive pricing practices and hold the company accountable under applicable consumer protection laws.

More information is available at www.alabamaag.gov.