CITY SUPERMARKETS' NEW“RIP-OFF' SHOCK

City supermarkets’ new “rip-off’ shockBy DAVID SEIFMANCity Hall Bureau Chief Supermarkets socked wit

Citysupermarkets’new“rip-off’shock ByDAVIDSEIFMAN CityHallBureauChiefSupermarketssockedwith$380,000infinesfive monthsagoforviolatingcityregulationshaven’tlearnedtheirlesson:A newblitzbyDepartmentofConsumerAffairsinspectorsfoundthe compliancerateactuallywentdownfrom48to33percentafterthe penaltieswereissued,officialssaidyesterday.Moreshockingly, ConsumerAffairsCommissionerJonathanMintzsaidthatbasedonthe experienceofitsinspectors,NewYorkerscanexpecttogetrippedoff oneofouteverythreetimestheypassthroughthesupermarketcheck-out counter.“TheindustryisreallythumbingitsnoseatNewYorkCity consumers,”declaredafuriousMintz.Inasweepoverthelastfour months,inspectorsvisited408supermarkets—83ofthemtwice—and issuedalmost750newviolationstotaling$310,000forinfractionsthat includedinaccuratecheckoutscanners,nopricesonindividualitems, taxingmerchandisethat’snottaxableandnothavingproducescales availabletocustomers.Inspectorshavenowissued$690,000infines sinceAugust.But,asMintzputit,“Therealstoryistheovercharging.” Hesaidhisinspectorswouldtypicallypick25or50itemsoff supermarketshelves—about20percentonsale—andrunthemthrough theregister.Innearlyathirdofthecases,Mintzsaid,inspectorswere overbilledforatleastoneitem—aratehedescribedas“appalling.”