George Gascón, the district attorney for Los Angeles County, announced Thursday that PetSmart has been ordered to pay $1.46 million to resolve claims that it overcharged customers for products advertised in advertisements.

“Charging customers prices higher than what was advertised is misleading and unfair,” said Gascón. “Customers have the right to expect that the prices they see advertised will be honored. It’s important for companies to adhere to advertising regulations and ensure transparency in their pricing practices.”

Santa Cruz County filed the complaint on behalf of the district attorney’s offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, Contra Costa and Marin counties.

The counties claim that PetSmart unlawfully charged customers higher prices than what was being advertised.

As part of a settlement PetSmart will pay $1.25 million in penalties, $100,000 for investigative fees, and $100,000 for restitution to support  future enforcement of consumer protection laws however, they admit to no wrongdoing

It is against the law for PetSmart or any company to make false claims in its advertising or to charge more than the lowest price indicated on a product’s listing, officials said.

As part of the settlement, PetSmart must also put additional audit and price accuracy procedures in place for a three-year period in its California stores to ensure that pricing accuracy requirements are met.

These procedures must include informing customers that they have the right to pay the lowest price currently advertised for any item that is being sold.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.