(Last Updated On: May 12, 2020)

Target has recently agreed to pay out $3.9 million in settlements for consumer fraud lawsuits filed in Northern and Southern California, and undergo audits for all California stores to check for consumer fraud as well.

The lawsuit states that Target violated false advertising and unfair competition laws by misleading customers and misrepresenting their items from as early as 2008. Locations within California priced their items higher than was advertised, lied about product weights, and neglected to maintain the accuracy of price scanners at checkout stands.

According to Target spokesman, Evan Lapiska, some of the problems occurred because promotional signs were not removed in a timely manner after a promotion ended, which confused customers.

“A fundamental consumer right is to be charged no more that the lowest advertised price. Consumers should always notify retailers immediately when they are being overcharged and demand to be charged only the lowest advertised price,” stated Ed Berberian, the District Attorney who spearheaded the lawsuit.

The company promises to perform more price accuracy audits, and to train employees to identify price inaccuracies, and will also be hiring an outside auditor to check weight/quantity inaccuracies. The company will be spending an additional $2 million on programs designed to correct these mistakes.

Although Target does not admit guilt under the lawsuit, a permanent injunction has been placed, forbidding the company from using false, misleading statements, increasing prices higher than the lowest recommended, and misrepresenting an item’s quantity. “Target is 100 per cent committed to accurately pricing its merchandise, and we’ve taken steps to fix the problem,” Lapiska stated. “Any guest who feels she or he was overcharged for an item should bring their receipt to the Guest Service desk, where any pricing inaccuracies will be resolved.”

This most recent lawsuit comes in the wake of the data breach lawsuit which claims that Target treated its customers negligently by delaying to address the security issue, and by failing to implement preventative measures and appropriate security protocols for the highly sensitive personal information stolen during the data breach.

If you or a loved one have fallen victim to misleading and fraudulent business practices from companies like Target, the Orange County lawyers of Hodes Milman can provide you with the assistance you need.

Contact us today online at verdictvictory.com or call (949) 640-8222 for a complimentary case evaluation.

 

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