Home Depot to pay almost $2 million for false advertising, unfair competition
Home improvement company Home Depot agreed to pay nearly $2 million to settle a civil complaint from multiple California district attorneys, alleging the company took part in false advertising and unfair competition.
The company has to pay $1.7 million in civil penalties as well as $277,251 to cover investigation costs and “support future enforcement of consumer protection laws.” Home Depot did not admit wrongdoing, but was cooperative in the investigation, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney Office’s news release.
“False advertising and unfair competition are serious offenses that undermine consumer trust and distort the marketplace,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Gascón said in a statement.
The lawsuit said that Home Depot customers would bring items to the checkout and the price of the item would be higher than what was listed on the shelf. Those are called “scanner violations,” according to D.A.’s Office.
“When companies engage in deceptive practices, they not only cheat consumers but also gain an unjust advantage over businesses that operate ethically and transparently,” Gascón said. “This settlement is a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated and underscores our commitment to safeguarding the rights of consumers in our community.”
The home improvement retailer has to implement a price accuracy program that will add “more audits and training and eliminates price increases on weekend days.” In early July, the company agreed to pay $750,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging it did not adhere to California’s state law regarding gift cards.
“To ensure consistency for our customers, we’ve updated the timing of our price changes,” a Home Depot spokesperson told The Hill in a statement.
Date: |
Topics
-
NBC News - Top stories
Home Depot to pay nearly $2 million to settle suit alleging it overcharged shoppers
SAN DIEGO — The Home Depot agreed to a nearly $2 million settlement in a case that alleged it overcharged customers, charging more for items at checkout than the items' advertised prices.11 hours ago -
CBS News - Top stories
Many first-time home buyers locked out of market by competition and high prices
Many prospective first-time home buyers feel like they're at a disadvantage as they face high interest rates and competition from a spiking number of all-cash offers. CBS News correspondent Nancy ...20 hours ago -
ABC News - Sports
College football guarantee games pay millions to small-budget schools but opportunities could shrink
Guarantee games are a staple of the college football season20 hours ago - College Football -
CBS News - Top stories
AT&T to pay $13 million to settle FCC probe over cloud data breach
AT&T failed to ensure that a third-party vendor adequately protected the telecom carrier's customers, regulators say.15 hours ago -
MarketWatch - Business
Actress Sarah Paulson lowers the price of her $1.8 million mobile home in ‘America’s priciest trailer park’
This is not your average trailer park. Located on a Malibu beach, it’s attracted a number of celebrities over the years.Yesterday -
NBC News - Top stories
2-year-old who walked out of her family home after bedtime killed in car accident
Police in Michigan are investigating after a car hit and killed a toddler who appeared to have left her home after being put to bed on Friday.10 hours ago -
BBC News - Top stories
Starvation in war-hit Sudan 'almost everywhere' - WHO
The head of the UN health agency says the world's attention to Sudan is "really low" and race is a factor.Yesterday -
CNBC - Business
Healthy Returns: How competitive can Roche be in the weight loss drug market?
Roche presented early-stage data on its obesity injection and pill at EASD. Meanwhile, Oura enters into metabolic health market with acquisition of Veri.17 hours ago -
Financial Times - Business
EU competition chief warns against weakening rules to create champions
Margrethe Vestager’s comments come as successor told to be ‘more supportive’ of companies16 hours ago - European Union -
Wired - Tech
Did a Chinese University Hacking Competition Target a Real Victim?
Participants in a hacking competition with ties to China’s military were, unusually, required to keep their activities secret, but security researchers say the mystery only gets stranger from there.4 hours ago
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Meta’s ‘from the river to the sea’ decision legitimizes hate speech
It is time to wake up, call a spade a spade and move to de-legitimize this poisonous slogan.20 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Trump praises Secret Service agent at golf course, but Butler 'a very different story'
Former President Trump, in light of the second apparent assassination attempt, praised the Secret Service agent who spotted the suspect at his golf club over the weekend and reacted quickly, ...49 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Kamala Harris will raise your taxes, no matter what she's saying now
Kamala Harris has promised not to raise taxes for those making less than $400,000, but her proposed tax credits and deductions are not actual tax cuts, and she has promised to let the 2017 Trump ...50 minutes ago - Kamala Harris -
The Hill - Politics
What the debate reveled about Donald Trump
Donald Trump's first reaction to any pressure is to lie. Trump is also frighteningly gullible, seemingly unable to distinguish trustworthy sources of information from highly questionable ones. ...1 hour ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Anti-Trumpers continue to court trouble with incendiary rhetoric
Democrats have been quick to blame Republican rhetoric for threats of violence against immigrant communities, despite not knowing the specifics of the situation.1 hour ago - Donald Trump