Article 2 - Point-Of-Sale System Accuracy Verification - California Business and Professions Code

Sections (7)

Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 434, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.

(a)The board of supervisors of any county or city and county that has adopted or that adopts an ordinance for the purposes of determining the pricing accuracy of a retail establishment using a point-of-sale (POS) system, shall base the initial standard inspection of the POS system on the following criteria:

(1)The initial standard inspection shall be performed by collecting a random sample of items that shall include a maximum of 50 percent sale items from either:

(i)One department of a retail store.

(ii) Multiple areas of a retail store.

(iii) The entire store.

(2)The initial standard inspection shall be performed by testing a minimum random sample of 10 items for a retail establishment with three or fewer POS checkout registers.

(3)The initial standard inspection shall be performed by testing a minimum random sample of 25 items for a retail establishment with 4 to 9 POS checkout registers.

(4)The initial standard inspection shall be performed by testing a minimum random sample of 50 items for retail establishments with 10 or more POS checkout registers.

(5)The sealer shall verify that the lowest advertised, posted, marked, displayed, or quoted price is the same as the price displayed or computed by the point-of-sale equipment or printed receipt. Only items computed at a higher price than the lowest advertised, posted, marked, displayed, or quoted price shall be considered not in compliance.

(6)The minimum random sample size shall not apply to inspections of any establishment at which fewer items than the number specified as the minimum sample size are marked or displayed with a posted or advertised item price.

(7)The maximum percentage of sale item restriction in paragraph (1) shall not apply to inspections of any establishment at which a marketing or promotional practice does not enable the sampling of the minimum required percentage of nonsale items, such as “Everything In Store 50 percent Off” or the like.

(8)The compliance rate percentage of a retail establishment shall be determined by dividing the number of items in compliance by the sample size multiplied by 100.

(b)Enforcement action may be taken for any item not in compliance.

(c)The sealer may reinspect any retail facility that has a compliance rate of less than 98 percent.

(d)The board of supervisors, by ordinance, may charge a point-of-sale system inspection fee or an annual registration fee, not to exceed the county’s total cost of inspecting or testing the accuracy of prices accessed or generated by the system pursuant to this section.

(e)The board of supervisors, by ordinance, may charge a reinspection fee for reinspections of a retail establishment that fails the prior inspection, not to exceed the county’s total cost of reinspecting or testing the accuracy of prices accessed or generated by the system pursuant to this section.

§ 13351

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 529, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2006.

For purposes of this chapter, “random sample” of items means that the selection process shall be modeled after the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 130, 2005 Edition (HB 130) – Examination Procedures for Price Verification, randomized sample collection; stratified sample collection.

§ 13352

Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 566, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2007.

For purposes of this chapter, “point-of-sale” system means any computer or electronic system used by a retail establishment such as, but not limited to, Universal Product Code scanners, price lookup codes, or an electronic price lookup system as a means for determining the price of the item being purchased by a consumer.

§ 13353

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 529, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2006.

For the purposes of this chapter, “sale items” include any item that is represented or advertised to be lower in price from that which the item is normally offered for sale. A “sale item” includes but is not limited to, an item that is represented as “promotional,” “limited time offer,” a “manager special,” “discount taken at register,” or displayed with any other advertisements that offers or suggests a reduced price.

§ 13354

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 529, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2006.

For purposes of this chapter, “area” means an “entire store,” a “department,” “grouping of shelves or displays,” or other “section” of a store as defined by the sealer from which samples are selected for verification. “Nonpublic” areas of a store, such as the area in a pharmacy in which controlled drugs are kept or product storage rooms, shall not be included.

§ 13355

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 529, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2006.

For the purposes of this chapter, “initial standard inspection” means an inspection made at the customary time interval used by an enforcement agency.

§ 13356

Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 434, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.

All other inspections of the point-of-sale system are considered “special inspections,” including, but not limited to, inspections pertaining to investigations, consumer complaints, complaints from competing businesses or a reinspection of a retail establishment at which one or more price accuracy violations have occurred within the previous six months.