Publix sued as woman claims sneaky self-checkout trick hikes prices of your groceries
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.
One example cited in the lawsuit involves a pack of pork that should have cost around $14 but was charged at nearly $20 because the scales allegedly added more than a pound to its weight.
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, including Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.
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.
It alleges that the self-checkout system adjusts the weight of discounted items so that customers end up paying the original, non-discounted price.
Wendy Koutouzis accused Publix of using its point-of-sale (POS) system to overcharge customers at self-checkout
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.
The law firm handling the case is encouraging other Publix shoppers who suspect they have been overcharged at self-checkout to come forward and join the lawsuit.
Shoppers who claim to have been overcharged for products sold by weight at Publix are qualified to join the lawsuit.
These items would also have to be paid for using a self-checkout and not when being charged by a cashier via register.
'Being part of a class action means you don't have to go through the legal process alone,' the firm said.
The lawsuit does not clarify how much money the plaintiff is seeking.
The plaintiff also requested Publix to correct its possible 'deceptive behavior' and to award legal fees, expenses, and recoverable costs in connection with the 'commencement and prosecution' of the accused actions.
The grocery store chain has declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.
'It would be inappropriate for us to comment on pending litigation,' company spokeswoman Lindsay Willis told the Miami Herald on March 25.
This is not the first lawsuit Publix has found itself in over the years.
Publix has been involved in multiple lawsuits over the years, including an on-going class-action lawsuit filed by former and current managers
The grocery store chain made headlines in 2017 after being sued by a job applicant who was a member of the Rastafarian religious sect.
The plaintiff accused a supervisor of asking to withdraw his application after he refused to cut his hair to follow a grooming policy.
Publix and the accuser reached a settlement, and the chain agreed to pay $50,000 in damages.
The chain was then involved in a class-action lawsuit filed by former and current managers in 2023.
The plaintiffs claimed Publix, the nation's fifth largest grocery seller, failed to pay hourly employees for overtime hours they worked before and after clocking in for work and on unpaid meal breaks.
As of now, the case is still ongoing, and there has been no indication of a settlement.
