Two stores pay fines for scanning errors

Two local stores have paid fines to the Standards Division of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for excessive price-scanning errors.

The Kmart at 6200 Capital Blvd. paid $3,555 in civil penalties, while the Rite-Aid at 2850 Capital Blvd. paid $1,490.

The Standards Division conducts periodic, unannounced inspections at businesses to check for consistency between the prices advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. If a store has more than a 2 percent error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the findings with the store manager and conduct a more intensive follow-up inspection later.

Penalties are assessed if a store fails the follow-up inspection. In addition to the penalties paid, the store is subject to reinspection every 60 days until it meets the 2 percent threshold.

The Kmart had failed eight straight inspections – its error rates ranged from 2.67 percent in May to 12 percent in February 2007 – before recently passing another inspection. The store has paid more than $24,000 total in penalties to the state.

The Rite-Aid had paid $1,680 in penalties after failing two other inspections.