News & Updates, Division of Standards, Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

List of Motor Fuel Retailers With Emergency Generators

2013-02-08T00:00:00Z

Massachusetts Gives Green Light for Uber Technologies

2013-01-22T00:00:00Z

With Holiday Shopping In Homestretch, Annual Retail Scanner Survey Finds Accuracy Rates Hold Steady At 99.56 Percent

2012-12-18T00:00:00Z

Undersecretary Of Consumer Affairs Barbara Anthony Testifies On New Item Pricing Law

2012-10-16T00:00:00Z

Patrick-Murray Administration's Division of Standards to Hold Public Comment Session on Item Pricing Regulations

2012-09-25T00:00:00Z

Consumer Affairs Inspectors To Check For Gouging, Perform Three-point Price Check At Massachusetts Gas Stations

2012-09-17T00:00:00Z

Massachusetts Gives Green Light for Uber Technologies

2012-08-15T00:00:00Z

Patrick-Murray Administration’s Division of Standards Survey Shows Most Gas Stations Following Octane Rules

2012-05-25T00:00:00Z

As Consumers Wrap up Holiday Shopping, Annual Retail Scanner Survey Finds Accuracy Rates at 99.46 Percent

2011-12-21T00:00:00Z

BOSTON – December 22, 2011 – The annual survey of retail scanners at stores across Massachusetts by the Patrick-Murray Administration's Division of Standards found 99.46 percent accuracy, with 12 of the 13 overcharging errors coming in at $1.50 or lower.

Inspectors from the Division of Standards checked 84 stores representing 46 retailers across Massachusetts. Of the 2,425 items checked, 13 overcharges were found at retail scanners. The 99.46 accuracy rate is consistent with recent years. In 2010 the rate was 99.58, in 2009 it was 99.51, and in 2008 it was 99.18.

Division of Standards Survey of In-Aisle Scanners Find Nearly Half Do Not Meet State Operating Regulations

2011-12-15T00:00:00Z

Starbucks Drops Undisclosed $1.50 Charge on Coffee under One Pound Nationally, after Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs, Division of Standards, Investigations

2011-11-14T00:00:00Z

Consumers were not made aware of fee in store signage

Division of Standards Upholds Fines against Two Gas Stations for Price Advertising Violations

2011-05-12T00:00:00Z

Patrick-Murray Administration’s Division of Standards Offers Gas-Saving Tips as Prices Continue to Soar

2011-03-14T00:00:00Z

Patrick-Murray Administration's Division of Standards Celebrates Weights and Measures Week March 6-12, 2011, Continues Effort to Inspect Thousands of Devices Each Year

2011-03-07T00:00:00Z

Governor Patrick Directs Division of Standards to Monitor Signs of Price Gouging Following Water Emergency

2010-05-02T00:00:00Z

BOSTON – May 2, 2010 – Governor Deval Patrick has directed the state’s Division of Standards, which inspects item pricing at retailers throughout the Commonwealth, to closely monitor bottled water prices in areas affected by the weekend’s water emergency, including inspecting stores in the region and responding to potential consumer complaints of price gouging.

On Saturday, an MWRA water main broke in Weston, creating a water emergency for over two million people in the Greater Boston area. As a result, Governor Patrick declared a boil order for all tap water for all uses except bathing, flushing and fire protection. In many communities, bottled drinking water was quickly snapped off shelves at supermarkets.

Retailers Score High, Consumers Win Big on Division of Standards Retail Scanner Price Checks

2009-12-21T00:00:00Z

BOSTON – December 21, 2009 – Consumers can finish their holiday shopping confident that they will be charged accurately for gifts after the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Division of Standards’ annual pricing scanner survey found scanners were 99.51 percent accurate.

State regulations mandate stores’ scanners be 98 percent accurate, and all 75 stores checked were above that threshold. In fact, 13 of 15 retailers checked in at 99 percent or higher overall. In all, Division of Standards inspectors checked 3,863 items, and only 19 were scanned at an overcharge.

Underweighted Steaks Found at Ruby Tuesdays across Massachusetts by Division of Standards

2009-12-10T00:00:00Z

BOSTON – December 10, 2009 – An inspection of Ruby Tuesday restaurants across the state by the Patrick Administration’s Division of Standards found that lots of steaks in every eatery checked were smaller than their labeled weight, and the Division announced today a $700 fine against Ruby Tuesday’s supplier of the prepackaged steaks, Colorado Premium Foods of Greely, Colo.

The Division checked boxes of steaks at five of the nine Ruby Tuesdays in Massachusetts, and found steaks smaller than their advertised weight at each one. Ruby Tuesday’s menus include size-specific items such as seven- and nine-ounce sirloins, and 12-ounce rib-eyes, that the restaurants purchase from Colorado Premium Foods. The Division inspected the weight of steaks at the chain after receiving a consumer complaint regarding a steak that was too small.

Patrick Administration's Efforts to Control Overcharging Lead to Reductions in Incidents by Retailers

2009-12-07T00:00:00Z

BOSTON - December 7, 2009 - After a series of meetings and inspections of retailers with high counts of overcharging, the Patrick Administration’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation announced today its efforts have led to steep reductions in inaccurate prices at cash registers at the stores.

In 2008, CVS stores inspected by the Division of Standards had an average of 3.4 incidents of overpricing at each inspection. As a result, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and the Division of Standards met with CVS and requested that CVS develop a remediation plan to correct its overcharging problem. After the plan was implemented by CVS, a recent inspection of 22 CVS stores by the state showed a total of three overcharging incidents.

CVS, Shaw's Discuss Plans to Reduce Overcharges with Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation

2009-07-09T00:00:00Z

BOSTON – July 9, 2009 – Officials from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and the Division of Standards have met with CVS and Shaw's to discuss the individual companies' plans to reduce overcharges at stores in Massachusetts.

Leaders from OCABR and DOS also anticipate meeting with other retailers that have high rates of overcharging. Overcharging occurs when the price rung up at the register is higher than the posted price on a store's shelves.

With Record High Prices & Memorial Day around the Corner, State Inspects Gas Stations across Massachusetts

2008-05-21T00:00:00Z

Consumer Affairs, Division of Standards Recognize National Weights and Measures Week

2008-03-04T00:00:00Z

Annual Retail Scanner Price Checks Produce Positive Results for Holiday Shoppers

2007-12-21T00:00:00Z

State Releases Annual Survey of Seafood Sales

2007-08-16T00:00:00Z

2006- 2007 Heating Season Inspection Summary

2007-04-03T00:00:00Z

14 Citations Issued for Various Violations