Posted on 03/27/2025 7:27:06 PM PDT by simpson96
A Publix shopper has filed a lawsuit accusing the supermarket of using a deceptive pricing tactic to overcharge customers.
Florida resident Wendy Koutouzis alleges that the chain’s self-checkout scales inflate the weight of meats and cheese, causing shoppers to pay more than the advertised price without realizing it.(snip)
Her lawsuit, filed in a Miami federal court, seeks compensation not only for herself but also for any other customers who may have been unknowingly overcharged.
The class-action case could impact shoppers across Florida and other states where Publix operates(snip)
Koutouzis claims she was repeatedly overcharged at five Publix locations in Tampa, Florida.
The lawsuit focuses on the supermarket’s weekly discounts on meats, produce, and cheese sold by weight.(snip)
The lawsuit says: 'Instead of charging the reduced sale price multiplied by the weight of the product, Publix's point of sale (POS) checkout system automatically increases the weight of the product, so that the consumer does not receive the sale price.'
One of the examples cited in the lawsuit involves an Extra Lean Pork Tenderloin, advertised at $4.99 per pound as part of a sale.
The package Koutouzis selected weighed 2.83 pounds, meaning the total cost should have been $14.12.
However, when she checked out, she was charged for 3.96 pounds, increasing the total to $19.78 — nearly $6 more than expected.
Another instance allegedly involved a Kentucky Legend Turkey Breast priced at $7.99 per pound.
The package she picked up should have cost $13.98 based on its 1.75-pound weight, but instead, her receipt showed a charge of $17.48.
Other products she was allegedly overcharged for was a $30.12 Hormel Ham that was expected to be $22.58, a $14.19 Kentucky Legend ham she thought would be $10.54, and a $17,48 Kentucky Legend turkey breast, which she assumed would be $13.98.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
In south Orlando, there is also a Publix next to another Publix, the point being to keep a competitor from leasing the second location. The Publix roast chicken is even better than the fried chicken.
Best grocery store is WinCo. Lower prices on just about everything.
maybe she stuck her thumb on the scale as it weighed the item?
Very much agree with that. Some of us also have Food Lion, which has some excellent sales on a lot of items to make it worth looking at.
[I find my local Costco failing here lately in the produce quality dept. and also some meats like pork chops. Walmart is always a crap shoot but if you catch them the day after delivery day, their quality is pretty good.]
I HATE self-checkout.
Which makes their system seem almost set up for fraud.
If she has the proof she is no Karen.
I do agree. We are very happy with publix
I’ve been shopping at Publix for over 35 years and have always found their customer service to be exemplary. If this woman had a problem as she says my experience says Publix would have made her happy. Whenever I see a lawsuit for something as trivial as what’s described in the article, I immediately assume greed is the motivating factor for the plaintiff and their attorney. If the problem existed in Tampa, why is the suit filed in Miami, a well known center of fraud and corruption?
Publix is THE best grocery chain in the US, and I’ve used a lot of them coast-to-coast. True...some items can be expensive, but there are ways to get around that (maybe don’t by the $28 filet mignon). Their BOGO has saved me big time in the 25 years I’ve lived in Florida. I have nothing bad to say about them.
Publix near me is a fine store, and I shop there frequently.
WinnDixie has a far better selection of seafood, especially shrimp. I shop there as well. No issues with either one.
My thoughts exactly. She’s a liar! Hope she gets sued for Publix lawyer fees.
My wife regularly alerts store managers when the price is wrong or “clearance” items don’t ring up properly. If you let them know, they’ll correct it on the spot.
The meats and cheese are weighed at the deli counter and a price is added to the item with scan. She’s a huge liar! You don’t weigh your own meats or cheese at Publix!!!!!
In the Keys we don't have a lot of choices, but there are both Publix and Winn Dixie here. We also have a very small mom-and-pop store.
Publix is the cleanest (by far) of the 3.
Publix also the easiest to get an associate on the floor to answer a question, (the mom-and-pop almost never has a person working the floor and the cashier is busy with a continuous line).
Publix also carries Boar's head deli meats. We prefer that over other deli brands.
Publix also delivers as early as 7AM and as late as 10PM. Yes, delivery is expensive. I don't think the mom-and-pop offers any delivery option. Winn Dixie probably does but I don't know for sure.
Our son contracted Salmonella from eggs at Winn Dixie 20 years ago. He was out of school for 2 weeks and very sick. We have never really forgiven them.
The mom-and-pop has a few unique items, like a locked glass case with caviar. I always check it out to see how expensive the best stuff is. Sometimes as high as $800 for a little tin of it. At one time the little store was the place to buy a fisherman's box lunch to take out on the boat. Now most gas stations do it as well as restaurants. I think their box lunch is still the best quality tho. I think they also open around 5 or 6AM to cater to the pro guides that come in for a box lunch before their day out on the water.
The software in the Publix self-checkout is the best. Start scanning your items with zero questions to begin. When finished; tap you card, take your receipt. That's it.
$$ Prices: Mom-and-pop > Publix > Winn Dixie
Conclusion: I never go in Winn Dixie. I prefer to go into the small store to support local business, but it is extra distance to drive. We do 95% of our grocery shopping at Publix.
Is that all we're talking about with this woman? Deli goods?
Other products she was allegedly overcharged for was a $30.12 Hormel Ham that was expected to be $22.58, a $14.19 Kentucky Legend ham she thought would be $10.54, and a $17,48 Kentucky Legend turkey breast, which she assumed would be $13.98.
I guess you could buy this stuff in the Deli by the slice lb., I wouldn't. I agree that stuff from the Deli that is labeled would only be scanned at checkout and not weighed a second time unless just out of curiosity. Deli's that I have dealt with always had the scale right there in plain view so its hard to put a thumb on it. Is that the case in this market? I don't think I've ever been in one.
One thing I have run into, a sale item ringing up at a non sale price. I've questioned it on the spot and have had to point to it in the stores sales slick to get it at sale, which at least shows that systems can operate with out of date data. Maybe the Deli can price it on today's sale and the register bills it at yesterdays price by simply missing an update.
Most of this kind of thing can be cleared up on the spot. If you are self scanning and can't see a discrepancy as it happens maybe you should stand in line and let someone else check you out.
Also, not everyone that needs to escalate a problem with a business is a Karen. After consideration, this one could very well be.
Could she have accidentally or deliberately put extra weight on the scale? I’m calling this a con.
The price per pound and weight is on the label, all you have to do is scan it.
You weigh things that do not have labels like bananas or eggplant.
So this story makes no sense.
Consistently adding nearly a pound to the weight isn’t a mistake. Either the scale is rigged or broken. And if it stays that way for a long time that’s deliberate. Nothing for her to be ashamed of. She did check the receipt, that’s why she knows they were jobbing her.
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