State inspectors out to make sure consumers don't get ripped off on Valentine's Day gifts

Finding true love can be difficult, but finding a fair Valentine's Day deal just got a little easier.

It’s another reason to splurge on the gal or guy of your romantic dreams.

Whether you’re sending flowers, giving candy or buying your beau a teddy bear, you’ll be glad to know state inspectors are out making sure you don’t get ripped off.

Inspectors from the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures conducted 39 unannounced inspections of Valentine-themed products at retail stores throughout January and February.

The inspections focused on candy stores, florists and other retail locations throughout Arizona where entire aisles are dedicated to selling Valentine’s Day products.

According to state officials, 10 candy stores, six florists, and 23 retail stores were visited and reviewed for price accuracy at the cash register.

Inspectors checked to see that prices posted complied with prices at the register.  

In addition to flowers and candy, other Valentine products such as teddy bears and Valentine cards are also check for price accuracy at the cash register and price posting compliance.

The good news is, there were very few cases of overcharging discovered.

At the candy stores, only three items of 100 items scanned were found to have price discrepancies that resulted in over charges totaling $4.

Only 12 of 1,141 other products checked at the candy stores failed to correctly reflect to prices posted on the shelves.

Six flower stores were inspected and only one item was determined to be missing the required price.

Department officials inspected 23 retail locations where an entire aisle was dedicated to everything Valentine. 

Of these 23 stores, there were 2,951 items checked but only 22 were found without proper pricing.

A total of 575 items were scanned on the cash registers and only 2 items were found to be charging more than advertised prices.

Consumers benefited from a few mistakes—at least 22 items were found to be under-priced when they were scanned.

"It is important that we continue our efforts to make sure consumers get what they pay for and that Arizona has a fair marketplace for business to compete," stated Shawn Marquez, Director of Compliance Programs at the Department of Weights and Measures.

The Department of Weights and Measures inspectors travel all across the state each day conducting unannounced scanner and price accuracy inspections at retail outlets.

For questions or to file a complaint, contact the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures at (602) 771 - 4920 or visit their websit e .