L.A. Prosecutors Are Accusing Four Big Retailers Of Tricking Shoppers

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office has sued four big retailers, alleging  deceptive advertising that it says misled shoppers into believing that thousands of products were on sale at a hefty discount. The retailers — JC Penney, Sears, Kohl’s and Macy’s — falsely advertised high “list” or “regular” prices on merchandise that was never actually for sale at that price, according to the lawsuits filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. That led customers to believe that they were getting a better bargain with the “sale” price than they actually were. These tactics — called false reference pricing — “play a major role in the companies’ overall marketing and business strategies,” the L.A. city attorney’s office said in a statement. JC Penney said it “doesn’t comment on pending litigation.” Macy’s said it does not “comment on litigation matters.” Sears declined to comment, while Kohl’s did not respond to a request for comment. Read more at Los Angeles Times.