Fresh & Easy Fined over $800K for overcharging customers

[Sherman A1]

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego Superior Court has imposed a fine of $833,136 on Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market for overcharging on meat and seafood items.

Prosecutors alleged that Fresh & Easy had charged customers more at checkout for certain products than the prices listed on shelves and had marked meat and seafood packages at a higher price per pound than indicated on the shelves.

Weights and measures officials in 12 California counties recorded instances of price fraud during 124 inspections at 82 Fresh & Easy stores. The case was filed by the San Diego District Attorney’s, San Diego
City Attorney’s, and Riverside District Attorney’s Consumer & Environmental Protection Units

The judge also ordered Fresh & Easy to implement a “Get It Free” program for the next three years. If the retailer overcharges for an item at the register, the customer will be entitled to $3 off the lowest advertised price, or to get the item free if it is priced at less than $3.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/meat/fresh-easy-fined-800000-overcharging-meat-seafood#ixzz2IswCMIID

[JayhawkSD]

1. I'm not defending F&E, and don't have any facts

Don't shop there for one thing, but Fresh & Easy has been failing badly in San Diego for quite a long time. I'm inclined to suspect that as they cut prices in the stores, which they have been doing steadily, the price markings on shelves and in ads get changed faster than they do in their computers. That's not untypical when a centralized computer department is located distant from local management. They're not deliberately attempting to gouge more money out of customers, but just have bad management practices. Same outcome, of course, but...

Point is, though, that they're not evil, they're merely stupid.

[Sherman A1]

2. You are very possibly correct

in your assessment. That said the Court did have the facts (or we hope they did) and made their ruling based upon those facts.

[KamaAina]

3. If they last that long

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10402587

I don't shop there, because there isn't one near me -- but at least in the Bay Area, many Fresh & Easys are located in food deserts like SF's Bayview, heart of The City's African American community, and the northern section of Sunnyvale, where mobile home parks sit cheek by jowl with tech giants. Better a crappy food store than none at all.

[Merlot]

4. Good riddance - they are an awful store

The prices aren't any less and are usually more than Trader Joe's. If they're going to replace checkout clerks with free labor (that would be the customers), shouldn't they at least have better prices?

Where I live there is a F&E and a TJ's within walking distance of each other. The F&E is usually empty or quiet compared to the TJ's. The do-it-yourself checkout stands, lack of customer service, and empty stores are pretty dismal.