A Florida shopper has filed a class-action lawsuit against Publix, accusing the supermarket chain of falsely increasing the weight of meat and cheese at self-checkout scales, leading to higher prices for customers.
The lawsuit, filed last week in Miami federal court, also claims that Publix leaves expired sale signs up to mislead shoppers into purchasing items at regular prices instead of discounted rates.
The lawsuit was brought by Wendy Koutouzis, who says she encountered overcharges at five different Publix locations in Tampa. It seeks damages for all affected Publix shoppers who may have been unknowingly overcharged.
Evidence of overcharges
Koutouzis documented her claims with photos of receipts, sale signs, product weights, and self-checkout screens showing discrepancies in pricing.
One example cited in the lawsuit involved a 4.15-pound chicken that self-checkout weighed at 4.98 pounds, effectively increasing the price beyond what should have been charged. Another instance involved a pork tenderloin on sale for $4.99 per pound (down from $6.99 per pound), but the checkout system recorded an inflated weight, canceling out the discount.
According to the lawsuit, Publix’s checkout system automatically increases the weight of sale-priced products, ensuring that shoppers do not receive the full advertised discount.
Publix’s Response
Publix, the fifth-largest grocery chain in the U.S., declined to comment on the lawsuit.
“It would be inappropriate for us to comment on pending litigation,” said Publix spokeswoman Lindsay Willis in an email to the Miami Herald.
Employees allegedly discouraged from helping customers
The lawsuit further claims that Publix’s employee-ownership model creates a lack of incentive for employees to alert customers about pricing errors. Instead, employees allegedly insist that shoppers are wrong when they question checkout discrepancies.
“Employees, including cashiers, customer service attendants, and department managers, do not only fail to alert customers, but insist purposely that the customer is wrong, and that the savings were already applied,” the lawsuit states.
Weighing system under scrutiny
Publix’s pricing system for meat, cheese, and produce is at the heart of the lawsuit. Koutouzis argues that when a product is on sale, Publix’s system adjusts the weight to maintain the original price, eliminating the intended discount.
The lawsuit was filed by attorney Anthony Russo Jr. of The Russo Firm in Boca Raton. If successful, it could result in financial compensation for Publix shoppers who have been overcharged.
The case highlights growing concerns about transparency in supermarket pricing, especially as more retailers shift towards self-checkout systems.
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