FDACS Concludes Statewide Holiday Price Verification Sweeps

Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) has concluded the final of two holiday price verification sweeps. These sweeps ensure that holiday items are accurately labeled and advertised prices for holiday specials match the scanned price that rings up at the register.

“As consumers wrap up their holiday shopping, we’re advising them to be aware of what they’re being charged at the register, especially any items on holiday sales or specials,” said Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. “Items can ring up with an incorrect price due to a simple mistake by a store employee or a system error — consumer awareness can be the difference between overpaying and paying the correct and fair price. If consumers believe there’s an error, we encourage them to file a consumer complaint with FDACS.”

Inspectors from the FDACS Division of Consumer Services conducted the second statewide holiday price verification sweep from December 1 through December 18, which focused on advertised sale items. Inspectors reviewed holiday sale ads from stores including department, grocery, hardware, and toy stores, and randomly selected items for testing at a variety of locations across the state. During the sweep, 188 retail stores were inspected and 6,687 items were checked for pricing accuracy. Fifteen of the retail facilities failed their inspection with a statewide average of 7.97% of the facilities failing. Incorrectly-priced items were immediately removed from sale until the errors were resolved.

Background: The first holiday price verification sweep conducted by the FDACS Division of Consumer Services ran from November 16 through November 20. Inspectors checked the net weight of over 3,000 holiday food items, such as turkeys, hams, cookies, and cakes. A net weight inspection ensures that consumers are only charged for the actual commodity they are purchasing and not the item’s packaging. Inspectors placed stop sale orders on 90 packages during this sweep.

For consumers: FDACS is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, information, and protection, handling 400,000 consumer inquiries and complaints each year. When in doubt consumers should contact FDACS, as all consumer complaints will be investigated. To file a consumer complaint, visit FloridaConsumerHelp.com or call the Consumer Assistance Center at 1-800-HELP-FLA or 1-800-FL-AYUDA (for Spanish speakers).

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