These 2 Charlotte stores were fined $1,000+ each for price-scanning errors
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- State inspectors fined two Charlotte stores for repeated price-scanning errors.
- Circle K faced multiple failed inspections and paid $3,420; Family Dollar paid $1,670.
- Inspectors require error rates 2% or less; stores face fines and reinspections.
Two businesses in Charlotte were fined recently by the state for errors with their price-scanning systems.
Both businesses were also fined earlier in the year, after inspectors found that prices advertised didn’t match prices that rang up at the register.
“Even small errors can add up,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a news release. “As we head into the busy holiday shopping season, we’re reminding consumers to remember to check their receipts.”
The Circle K at 4923 S. Tryon St. was fined $3,420 in the third quarter after failing inspections, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division, which conducts the inspections.
An inspector found an error rate of 6% for six overcharges on a 100-item lot in July, resulting in a $1,445 fine, which was paid in August. In September, an inspector found an error rate of 7% for seven overcharges on a 100-item lot, and the store was fined $1,975.
Those failed inspections follow others that occurred during March and May.
The Circle K will be reinspected.
Another Charlotte business, Family Dollar at 2100 Beatties Ford Road, was fined $1,670. During a July inspection, an inspector found an error rate of 3% for nine overcharges on a 300-item lot. That inspection followed two inspections in April and May, which it also failed.
The Family Dollar, which was previously fined $2,790, passed inspection in September.
NC stores fined for price-scanning errors
Five other North Carolina retailers were fined in the third quarter of 2025 for price-scanning errors:
- Circle K at 1627 E. Main St. in Lincolnton fined $1,725
- Dollar General at 250 N. Main St. in Star fined $1,155
- Rural King at 1227 Burkemont Ave. in Morganton fined $2,445
- Target at 4711 New Centre Drive in Wilmington fined $1,140
- Target at 4841 Grove Barton Road in Raleigh
Penalties for price-scanning errors
State inspectors make unannounced visits to retailers across North Carolina throughout the year to make sure that prices advertised are the prices that customers are asked to pay at checkout.
If a store has more than a 2% error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the issue with store managers and return later for a follow-up inspection.
Stores are fined if they fail the second inspection and are reinspected every 60 days until the error rate is 2% or less.
How to report price-scanning errors
To file a complaint about scanner errors, call the Standards Division at 984-236-4750.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 4:25 PM with the headline "These 2 Charlotte stores were fined $1,000+ each for price-scanning errors."
