Walmart has agreed to pay $5.6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by four California counties that accused the retail giant of overcharging customers.
Officials said the company charged shoppers more than advertised and sold some items that weighed less than the labels claimed.
District attorneys from Santa Clara, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Sonoma counties joined forces to file the lawsuit.
According to USA Today, they claimed Walmart broke California's False Advertising and Unfair Competition Laws by listing lower prices on shelves but charging more at checkout.
"When someone brings an item to the register to be scanned, the price must be right," said Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen.
"They expect it. California expects it. My office expects it – and we will apply the law to make sure of it."
Walmart will pay $5.6 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit accusing the company of overcharging customers in California.
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Walmart Fined $5.6M Over Pricing Issues in California
Investigators found that Walmart stores across the state had issues with price accuracy and product weight.
Some shoppers paid more than the lowest posted price, while others bought baked goods, fruits, or other prepackaged items that were lighter than the packaging said.
Walmart, which has around 280 stores in California, did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement.
Of the $5.6 million, about $5.5 million will go toward civil penalties. Another $139,908 will cover investigation costs, Fox11 said.
Walmart has dealt with similar complaints before. Back in 2012, Walmart paid $2.1 million after it was discovered they were charging more than the prices they advertised.
That case followed a court judgment in 2008. At that time, customers who were overcharged were supposed to receive a $3 refund, or get the item free if it cost less than $3.
The company is required to keep employees in its California stores whose job is to make sure prices and product weights are accurate.
Some California residents may not have noticed the price differences at checkout, but the law says even small mistakes matter.
Officials say the goal is to make sure shoppers always pay the correct price for what they buy.
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