Lowe’s, the home improvement retailer, has agreed to pay $1 million to resolve a lawsuit that accused its 110 California stores of charging customers more than the advertised prices.
The lawsuit was spearheaded by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from district attorneys across Sonoma, Orange, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Alameda counties, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
However, the alleged overcharging extended beyond those jurisdictions.
“From 2018 to 2022, Lowe’s was cited for price accuracy violations in 10 counties, with 4.4% of items being overcharged and an average overcharge reaching 19.3%,” stated the L.A. District Attorney’s Office in a release.
“This settlement guards consumers, ensures correct pricing at checkout, and importantly, holds retailers accountable for unlawful practices,” L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman remarked. “Due to the efforts of our Consumer Protection Division, particularly Deputy District Attorney Louis Morin, along with our partnering district attorney’s offices statewide, all violations have been resolved and state-wide reforms enacted. This serves as a caution to retailers that our office will persist in holding corporations accountable and safeguarding Los Angeles County consumers from unfair practices.”
Besides the $1 million fine, of which $166,666 will be allocated to L.A. County, Lowe’s will cover more than $61,000 in investigative costs and restitution, implement necessary store-level changes, enhance staff training, and undertake routine price audits.
Lowe’s is also explicitly prohibited from charging more than what’s posted on the product or shelf tag or charging more than an advertised price.
The settlement, however, did not force Lowe’s to admit liability.
