The Target Corporation has entered into a stipulated agreement to pay more than $5 million to settle a civil law enforcement complaint that alleged that the retail giant engaged in false advertising and unfair competition, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office announced this week.
The action was originally filed in Sonoma County Superior Court by District Attorney Jill Ravitch’s environmental and consumer law division in a joint filing with the district attorneys of Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, Ventura and San Diego counties.
The Sonoma County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures division did the inspections of the Target stores, along with departments of agriculture from the other counties.
The complaint alleged Target charged customers prices higher than its lowest advertised price for items.
Prosecutors also alleged that prices changed for some items once people who used the Target app on their phone entered the boundaries of the store.
The judgement includes an injunction that prohibits Target from engaging in false or misleading advertising or charging a price greater than that advertised. The judgement also bars Target from using app technology to cause the price of an item to increase based on the user’s location and requires it to clearly state where a customer can obtain the item at the advertised price. Target will also be required to implement audit and price accuracy procedures in its stores for seven years.
The settlement includes $5 million in civil penalties, $200,000 in restitution to support future enforcement of consumer protection laws, and $173,618.18 total in costs to the multi-county departments of agriculture who conducted the investigation.
Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The people who got ripped off will get nothing?
That’s usually how it goes. The lawyers get it all…
I was thinking the same thing
Ever since the day Target announced their restrooms are gender neutral, I stopped shopping there. I just wouldn’t fit in, I know what I am, and I know what I am not. The Good Lord made sure of that, and I’m not neutral in the gender department, and I don’t have a desire to pee next to someone who isn’t too sure of him or herself. Call me old-fashioned, call me an old fogey, you can even call me a homophobe, just don’t call me late to dinner.
Thank you Mayor for posting these settlements. These cash grabs by the state are part of the reason why everything cost more in California. If you talk to a Target exec they will tell you it’s the “cost of doing business”. In other words the consumer ends up paying more.
Exactly what was the harm to the state that they deserve that amount. Seems the state has not been friendly to business lately. There has to be a better way to solve this kind of problem. Too bad they didn’t give an example of what was overcharged and by how much.
From what I read Target is a 100 Billion Dollar business so I’m sure the 5 Million settlement won’t put a dent in the company.
Five million is big money
Whenever I think of Target, I remember those looters in Walnut Creek fighting with each other as they shoveled stolen goods into their likely stolen car. Apparently it was an equity thing…….
If I’m going to Target in pleasant hill for something specific, I take a screen pic of the target.com price. Invariably when I get to the store the price is higher. Sometimes by $2 bucks on a $20 dollar item. The check-out employees will honor my screen pic price when I tell them it’s shown cheaper online.