AN ANGRY Lowes shopper has accused the grocery chain of “deceptive” pricing by allegedly charging consumers “significantly” more at the checkout than advertised.
Mohamed H. Serdah is taking action against the retailer and has written to the Justice Department calling for it to investigate the issue and potentially take legal action.
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In the letter seen exclusively by The U.S. Sun, Serdah claims consumers were being seriously impacted and believes the violations may fall within the scope of anti-trust concerns such as unfair competition and protection issues.
Describing the issue, Serdah alleged he encountered repeated issues when purchasing advertised “on-sale fresh products.”
“Despite the product labels clearly indicating a Sale Price and Savings Amount, these discounts were not applied at checkout, and I was charged more than the advertised price,” Serdah wrote.
“The discrepancy between the expected price and the actual price paid was significant, leading me to believe that Lowes Foods was engaging in deceptive pricing practices.”
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He claimed the issue was not isolated to his case, referencing a number of reports in The U.S. Sun highlighting similar complaints from other Lowes Foods customers.
Serdah said “many shoppers” experienced discrepancies between advertised prices and prices scanned at the checkout and that Lowes had attributed the issues due to “computer glitches.”
“However, many customers have noted that these issues occur frequently and without resolution, leaving consumers frustrated and often unable to receive refunds for the overcharges,” Serdah added.
SHOPPERS RAGE
The U.S. Sun has previously reported warnings from other Lowes Foods customers who have urged shoppers to check their receipts to ensure they have not been overcharged.
In September 2024, a disgruntled shopper said Lowes Foods had failed to honor its sales prices at checkout and also refused to offer a refund despite the overcharge.
“A word of advice if you shop at Lowes food store,” Francine Mistretta shared on Facebook.
Another social media user claimed she was overcharged at a Lowe’s Market, sharing a post on Facebook, laying out the alleged overcharges and reporting that she was also billed for an item she didn’t purchase.
In the post, she said that she was overcharged by $15.01 during her recent visit to Lowes Market.
Thornton also claimed she was charged for an item she never purchased: cherries.
In the letter, Serdah added that he had previously been working with a law firm, Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP, to pursue a class action lawsuit against the company.
However, after sending a pre-suit demand letter to Lowes Foods, Serdah claimed the retail company reacted by engaging a “prominent” law firm which led his own attorney to “unexpectantly” side with the defendant.
His lawyer recommended he settle the matter by signing a non-disclosure agreement, he claims, which Serdah disagreed with.
“She recommended that I settle the matter by signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which I found to be a questionable approach, especially given the persistent nature of the deceptive pricing practices,” he wrote in the letter.
INVESTIGATION NEEDED
In closing, Serdah called for the US Department of Justice’s Anti Trust arm to “explore whether Lowe’s Foods’ actions violate any antitrust laws or other relevant consumer protection statuses.”
“I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further and explore potential avenues for holding Lowes Foods accountable for these deceptive practices,” he wrote.
“Thank you for your time and consideration of this important issue.”
According to Lowes Foods’ website FAQ, the store doesn’t mention offering refunds for incorrectly scanned items, but they do offer a “Scan Right Guarantee.”
The Scan Right Guarantee claims that if “an item scans for a higher price than the one shown on the shelf tag,” a customer will not only “receive one like item FREE,” but also “any additional items at the reduced price.”
The only exclusions to the Scan Right Guarantee are “beer, wine, and cigarettes.”
OVERCHARGING RIFE
Overcharges are becoming frequently more common at retailers nationwide.
These tend to occur when a customer sees one price on the shelf label or sign, but a different one when they scan their item at checkout.
While stores will occasionally blame outdated signage, the overcharges tend to be a result of a computer error.
This happens when an item’s price – usually a sale price or discount – isn’t updated in a store’s computer system.
Lowes Foods isn’t the only retailer to be hit with overcharge complaints.
Customers at convenience stores, grocery stores, and major retailers across the US have started to notice an alarming number of overages on their receipts.
Last month, Kroger apologized for overcharging a customer by $110 but failed to find a record of their transaction to issue a refund.
What to do if you’re overcharged
If you are overcharged at a retailer, there are a few ways to get your money back.
If you notice you were charged more than the advertised or posted price, report it to an employee or manager.
Make sure to keep your receipt to show the price difference.
As a shopper, you are entitled to the lowest advertised, posted, or quoted price offered by the store.
If you are charged more than the advertised, posted, or quoted a price, report it to the sales clerk right away. If the sales clerk can’t help, speak to the manager.
Stores must honor a posted price, even if the price has expired.
You are also able to dispute charges with your bank if you notice something suspicious on your statement.
According to Los Angeles County Consumer& Business Affairs
