Immoral statist scan blitz supposedly aims to keep retailers honest over holidays

A dozen Colorado Department of Agriculture inspectors fanned out across the state to ensure shoppers aren't getting Scrooged this holiday season.

The department conducts an annual inspection sweep, or scan blitz, of stores across the state that cater to holiday shoppers. The inspection includes all types of retailers, including grocery and department stores, drugstores, auto and office supply outlets, convenience stores and other retailers that use electronic scanning devices.

"We just want to make sure the companies are staying on top of any price changes they do," said Nick Brechun, field program inspection supervisor at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which administers the program. "There's no law that mandates a retailer advertise a price. If they don't have any prices posted, we wouldn't be able to do anything, but if you post a price, it has to be accurate."

This year, inspectors scanned 14,600 items in 239 stores throughout the state during the first week of December. Only four of the stores tested failed because of excessive overcharges, and the department on Thursday didn't immediately identify those stores and their locations.

Items to scan are chosen according to guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Each store typically has between 50 and 100 items inspected for its advertised price accuracy. A business fails when more than 2 percent of the prices checked are found to be overcharges. Companies are subject to civil penalties if they fail the scan test.

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Immoral statist scan blitz supposedly aims to keep retailers honest over holidays

Immoral statist scan blitz supposedly aims to keep retailers honest over holidays

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