Whole Foods Fined for Overcharging California Customers

A California court has come to a ruling that likely won’t surprise patrons of organic grocer Whole Foods : the chain is unlawfully overpriced.

Whole Foods has been fined $800,000 for overcharging consumers for prepared food items at locations in San Diego, Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

A year-long, statewide investigation determined that the weight of salad bar containers wasn’t being subtracted at checkout; that certain products actually weighed less than their labels advertised; and that some prepared items, like kebabs and other deli products, were being sold by the item rather than the pound as required by law.

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“We’re taking action to assure consumers get what they pay for,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. “No consumer should ever be overcharged by their local market.”

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“Our pricing on weighed and measured items was accurate 98 percent of the time,” Whole Foods argued in a statement.

As part of the ruling, the company -- which operates 74 stores in California -- will also have to appoint two “state coordinators” and designate one employee in every store to ensure accurate pricing throughout.

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