News Release: December 14, 2004

Posted on Dec 14, 2004 in 2004 News Releases, News-Releases

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2004 NR04-21

RETAILERS REMINDED THAT CONSUMERS MUST KNOW PRICE THEY ARE PAYING FOR ITEMS

HONOLULU – As the holiday shopping season shifts into high gear, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standard’s Branch (MSB) is reminding retailers that according to Hawaii law, the price of an item must be clearly displayed so that consumers can readily determine the price of the item while it is on the shelf.

The prices maybe displayed on individual price stickers affixed to each item; or if the price is displayed on shelf tags or signs, the display should be clearly visible and also provide sufficient information as to the item and quantity of the contents being offered at that price (ie: size, weight or count of product).

“The actual price of the item must either be affixed to the item or it must be in close proximity to the item,” said William Pierpont, manager of MSB. “This allows the consumer to make purchasing decisions based on accurate price information.”

Consumers may report incidents of non-compliance by retailers to the Honolulu Office of MSB Honolulu at: 832-0690.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the MSB strongly recommends that cash register displays be visible to the consumer as the items are being rung up.

If consumers find that the indicated price of the item on the shelf is different from the price that is charged at the cash register, they may also report it to the MSB.

The MSB is a branch of the Quality Assurance Division of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. MSB is responsible for certifying the accuracy of measuring devices, including commercial scales, electronic price scanning devices, taxi meters, odometers and gasoline pumps. The branch also assures that the packaging and labeling of products sold in the state are accurate.

###

For more information, contact:

Janelle Saneishi
Public Information Officer
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
Phone: (808) 973-9560
E-mail: [email protected]