Dollar stores like Family Dollar are an attractive option for people looking for bargains and ways to save money. The popularity of these stores has been further boosted by the impact of inflation. As of September 2023, the chain had 8,384 stores in 49 US states and territories.

However, concerns about the shopping experience at this well-known budget retail giant have recently increased. Read on to uncover top complaints alerted in Family Dollar reviews, from overcharging to a hostile environment. 

Family Dollar Q&A

Number of Family Dollar reviews – 4.2K

Family Dollar rating* - 2.2⭐⭐

Claimed losses - $2.8M

Successful calls – 3%/10.2K

Resolved issues - 17
  1. Hostile environment
  2. Family Dollar store management
  3. Family Dollar store conditions
  4. Family Dollar store pricing discrepancies
  5. Tips for easy shopping 

1. Hostile Environment

Verbal abuse and harassment experienced by customers at Family Dollar stores is one of the most common complaints. On PissedConsumer.com, customers are frustrated with cases of witnessing fights among employees, throwing items at managers, verbal aggression and abuse towards visitors, etc. 

In one Family Dollar complaint, the customer explained that they just wanted to inquire about a job posting in the store.When addressing the assistant manager, this consumer reports:

…she began to get irate… and began to pursue me yelling and being aggressive at which point I began recording.

According to the reviewer, the level of professionalism in this store “is beyond subpar.” 

In another review, the 60-year-old customer was shocked by the behavior of one of Family Dollar’s employees: 

This employee really made me as if he was very hostile toward customers as a whole needless to say will try not to go to this store and definitely not while he's there…

2. Family Dollar Store Management

While not all Family Dollar stores are reported to have management issues, there are still many reviews with concerns. Non-compliances range from disorganized inventory management leading to unavailability of goods to long checkout lines and unresponsive store staff.

Family Dollar reviews highlight troubles with the incorrect opening hours, multiple cases of closing the store during working hours, problems with the store’s system, messing around employees, and many others. 

For example, in one Family Dollar store in Mentor, Ohio, a consumer notices that the clothing aisle was like a mess: 

clothes all over the floor, hangers on the floor as well as papers, cardboard etc blocking the isle from both ends.

When the customer asked for help, one manager helped them, explaining that 

shes the only one working while the cashiers mess around with the manager and his friends which is why the store is in disarray.

 

Other shoppers report being “locked in the store” and made to leave. 

3. Poor Family Dollar Store Conditions

Family Dollar unsafe conditions

Family Dollar stores have received numerous complaints from customers regarding their cleanliness and organization. In addition, many online reviews mention inadequate safety and security measures that can lead to disastrous consequences. 

In the recent Family Dollar complaint, a customer who injured a foot and was wearing a boot alleged that:

I nearly tripped and fell in one of the aisles because there were boxes and merchandise laying on the floor and there was not a clear path for us to walk.

4. Family Dollar Store Pricing Discrepancies

Family Dollar prices discrepancies

Family Dollar stores frequently provide discounts, promotions, and coupons to entice customers. However, consumers often report discrepancies between the labeled and actual prices of products. In other cases, cashiers fail to apply discounts and promotions correctly, resulting in overcharging shoppers.

One frustrated customer claimed to be overcharged - the price they paid “was $1.50 more than listed price.” When they came back for the refund, a cashier wanted them to pay for their products first. What they again noticed is that 

I was overcharged.40 cents each on the candy bars and also &1.00 extra for cat food.

Tips for Easy Shopping at Family Dollar Stores

Family Dollar stores offer a variety of affordable products, but shopping experiences vary greatly from store to store. Many shoppers have expressed concerns about issues such as rude and unacceptable employee behavior, safety conditions, poor management, and overcharging. 

There are steps you can take to improve your shopping experience at Family Dollar:

  • Re-consider your needs and expectations before shopping, and opt only if you believe the Family Dollar is a safe store in your local area.
  • Read Family Dollar reviews and ask local customers for feedback about their experience with the store.
  • If you experienced any issue, share your Family Dollar complaint on a review website or social pages online to help warn others.

The decision to shop at Family Dollar stores or any other retailer depends entirely on your preferences and wishes. Customers can drive improvements by staying informed and advocating for a better shopping experience. 

If you have encountered problems with Family Dollar or just want to share your positive experiences, you may leave a review on our website.

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.

Legal disclaimers:

  1. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide any legal, medical, accounting, investment or any other professional advice as individual cases may vary and should be discussed with a corresponding expert and/or an attorney.
  2. All or some image copyright belongs to the original owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Leave a Reply

Cheryl Allen #11823
There is a family store in Baltimore MD in zip code 21230 in the mount claire mall on carey n pratt the employees are very disrespectful n when ask for a manager they were as bad i witness a fight with the employees n customer n then the store manager jump in the fight n one day a employee curst me out n was ready to fight walk from behind the counter n told the manager to wait on me that is one of the worst store
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John Payton Ralston #11827
My Two Biggest Issues is Family Dollar Store Clerks Being Angry At Having To Work Period and Taking it out on You.last one is some stores I believe merchandise Never gets priced or goes on a merchandise counter. Thanks Big John
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Lori #11839
It happens every time I go in there IF I’m able to find what I’m looking for. Prices ring up $.25-$.50 higher than what’s marked on the shelf.
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Justin Bailey #11860
It's too bad you didn't use my complaint in the article remember mine from Washington Utah I gave you guys permission to use it I still haven't had no response from them and I'm still banned from that store I want to sue them and I want to sue the managers separately too
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Anonymous #11881
OMG! I thought it was just ME who was having "issues" Family Dollar. I've experienced the very same problems. In Waltham Massachusetts there is one and I will Never return. Another problem is a Language Barrier. They hire non English speaking employees. I get it. Everyone needs work in these hard times, but to Exclude English speaking customers from getting services questions they may have isn't acceptable. And if one is shopping there, why then do they charge an amount for "cash back" using debit or credit cards? Then there is from my own experience, the rudeness of employees. Management to be clear. So, yeah, I won't return.
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Hector #11882
Watta you expect at those prices???Deal with it. Wimpy.
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Renee 63 #11885
I use to go to the one in Swanton Ohio but. The Mexican lady kept getting nasty with me. Then the raised their prices to Dollar General for cat food. So I go to Dollar General now. Much more friendly there
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Ms.s #11894
My family dollar is a take it or leave it last time I went in the place was raining on the insides n the chick's yes chick's at the register had pouty mouths
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Theron #11896
It.seems everyone is stressed. Customers and employees alike Over the weekend I had the opportunity to visit several of these stores, and visit with some employees, mgrs. and talk to some customers too. Getting “Help” is a huge part of the stores problems, rude customers are this is getting to the employees. Then the cycle repeats itself for both sides, and this can go visas versa! One employee needs medical attention, which earlier had been approved, and to use vacation time. But but the now since old mgr. let the employee, would have to deny the request! T had denied do to not anyone to fill in, as they them self too we’re already working during this time…So my thoughts are, we all have certain issues and we need to work together with each other, we don’t know what each other has on their plate that they might be dealing with. I hope that this will help us understand each other’s struggles…Thank you for listening to what I have learned from the persons that I have met.
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Anonymous #11898
I have been to the family dollar on Bayshore Blvd an they would not honor there shelf prices charged almost a dollar more made a new shelf sticker upping the prise instead.tgey advertise bigger quantities of things online an don't carry them.isnt that false advertisement
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Tena #11901
So far no problems with local Family Dollar but I am going to start watching the prices that are rung up.Walmart was caught doing some price discrepancies at the local store.
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letisha spencer #11906
Good Morning!I’m a witness to the Clutter in Some locations/ overall It’s not for Us(Cusomers) to Complain to The Cashiers. Family Dollar has a Corpid , They Need to Hire Stock Crew. periodCashier Don’t Make The Prices, Management In Each Location Need to Own Their Job description and Do what need to be Done in the Store/ the cashiers need not to deal with Complaints/ It Falls On them Pay them More/ I would like for the Buisness to progress in Many Areas. Family dollar is very Convenient and Reasonable, Training May Need More of,
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NJG #11913
The store near me actually was shut down due to all the problems, including a lot of crime (theft, damage to store, etc.) There is now a little store (similar to say a circle k) there. Higher prices, but way better taken care of and less crime.
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Chris Selle #11917
I go to dollar store often and many times I pay more at the register than the advertised price on the shelf. I’m getting kind of tired of it because this is definitely false advertising and needs to be corrected. I’ve also heard from a lot of other friends, that the same thing happens to them. The price on the item on the shelf might be a dollar and then at the register you’re paying more than a dollar. Pretty shitty practice if it’s done on purpose.
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Joan Pinto #11920
I worked for them as assistant manager I was robbed by a guy that held a gun to my head. Now every morning we recieved emails from Corp. When we go robbed I found out that are stores were targeted from the west coast of fla to the east coast where I worked and they never notified us that our stores were being robbed I believe like 15 stores got hit I would never work for that company again
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Brenda Kay #11925
It's not really fair to lump all Family in Dollar Stores together with an overall negative opinion. Each store is independently managed and the atmosphere of each location is dictated by that particular managers style of management. The store I visit most often is in a less than desirable area of town and I have never had a bad experience with the store or any of the employees. Yes the aisles may be cluttered once in a while but on restocking days there's only so much room. Would you rather have no stock available or a nice selection of merchandise? If you have issues with your local store take it up with the corporate office.
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Ken k #11929
My experiences at Dollar General have been great’
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George P Anderson #11931
The Dollar General store in Creve Coeur, Illinois has stopped stocking large cans of store brand decaffeinated coffee. This forces the customer to purchase a small can of Banded decaf at a much higher price. This is unfair!!!
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Bill Robinson #11953
One of their stores is only a mile from my house. I thought I would check it out. I found a brush I wanted. Now I am standing in front of the cash registry waiting to pay. There are 2 girls playing with a balloon, laughing their tail off. They showed no interest in checking me out, so I just left. While I am backing out of the parking lot I see one of the girls looking out the window at me. ALSO: I know a young man who worked there and was ordered to watch the cash register and clean up the parking lot trash ALL AT THE SAME TIME. He asks his boss, a young girl, "Just how am I supposed to do that? She says, I don't care, just do it". I sent an email to the company but got no response. I have not been back needless to say.
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DAPHNE ROGERS #11969
As to the cluttered, unkempt stores: Had a relative manage a store. They are given a bare minimum of hours to work with. Normally tht leaves only 1 person and a manager on duty- if lucky. Managers work 50+ hrs a week. Employees paid minimum wage. Managers paid well on salary but the 50+ hrs a week brings them down to minimum. Not excusing poor attitudes, but no wonder all employees have hostile attitudes. My relative burned out in 3 months. I feel sorry for them.
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