1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge you to investigate Dollar General and Family Dollar for systematically overcharging Texas customers. A Guardian investigation found that Dollar General stores have failed more than 4,300 government price-accuracy inspections in 23 states since January 2022, while Family Dollar stores have failed more than 2,100 price inspections in 20 states. Texas has 1,750 Dollar General stores, the most in the United States, accounting for 9% of all Dollar General locations nationwide. Multiple states have already taken action. Colorado’s attorney general secured a $400,000 settlement after Dollar General failed 12 out of 18 inspections. Missouri is suing after finding price discrepancies up to $6.50 per item, with an average overcharge of $2.71. Ohio settled for $1 million after inspectors found pricing errors up to 88% above the allowed margin. New Jersey settled for $1.2 million after finding more than 2,000 instances where checkout prices exceeded shelf prices. Wisconsin settled for $850,000. A Family Dollar in Provo, Utah, flunked 28 consecutive inspections, including a 48% overcharge rate in May 2024. These stores target the Texans who can least afford it. The average income of Dollar General customers is $35,000. These chains concentrate in low-income rural, Black, and Latino communities where residents have few shopping alternatives. Consumer advocates note that almost all scanner errors favor the company over customers, suggesting these aren’t accidents. Kennedy Smith of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance stated, “If they’re called on it, they’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, our mistake.’ Until they’re called on it, they’re happy to let those scanner errors bring in the millions.” If Attorney General Paxton wants to investigate a legitimate problem affecting real Texans instead of manufacturing culture war distractions, this is it. I’m calling on you to direct the Attorney General to investigate price accuracy at Texas dollar stores, conduct unannounced inspections across the state, and sue for restitution if violations are found. Demand Dollar General and Family Dollar implement corrective measures including employee training, regular audits, and signage honoring the lowest price when discrepancies occur. Texas consumers deserve protection from retailers who promise low prices but systematically charge more at checkout.