Some major grocery stores in the Bay Area have allegedly been overcharging their customers since at least 2022.
Customers shopping at multiple Target and Safeway locations in Marin County have allegedly been overpaying for food, drinks, and personal care products, according to SFGate, citing price inspection reports it obtained from the county's Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures.
The department performs regular inspections and responds to complaints, such as allegations of retailers overcharging for various products.
The outlet noted that the investigation found that, at the Safeway on 900 Diablo Ave., customers are paying an extra dollar for items like Oreo cookies, soap, and instant coffee.
A similar practice was also uncovered at the Target store at 200 Vintage Way, where cocktail mixers and containers ineligible for CRV were overcharged. Officials noted that the same location had already failed several reinspections.
Following the recent inspections, Target and Safeway stores in Marin County are being charged fines ranging from $150 to $700, the outlet noted.
Previous Violations
The recently reported violations are nothing new. Last year, officials investigated multiple complaints related to store-packed items sold by weight. In that investigation, officials found that the retailers failed to subtract the weight of the packaging from the price, as required by state law.
"When tare weights are inaccurate, it can result in overcharges to many consumers - they end up being charged for more product than they receive. For example - a customer wants to purchase one pound of fish at $20 per pound. If the business packages this fish in one pound of packing and doesn't take tare, that customer would be charged $40 for one pound of fish," the report said, according to Patch.
In 2022, an inspection also found that the Safeway store at 1 Camino Alto in Mill Valley sold graffiti eggplants for $5 more than their listed price. At the same time, Safeway was also found to be charging $12 for four Haas avocados that were advertised as part of a four-for-$5 deal at its 137 Corte Madera Town Center location.
In 2014, Safeway paid a $2.25 million settlement after several counties accused the retailer of overcharging customers throughout California. In 2015, Target paid $4 million in civil penalties over the same accusation.
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