Call it the tissue issue: Mary Bach — the same shopper of Walmart small claims court fame (see previous Walmart slide) — sued rival discount retailer Kmart after it improperly charged her sales tax on toilet paper.
As in her victories against Walmart, this was less about money than about principle: The sales tax Bach was charged was only 28 cents on a 12-pack of toilet paper that cost $3.99. But it happened more than once, leading Bach to conclude that Kmart — by oversight or by design — improperly charged tax on toilet paper as a matter of course. For her effort, a small claims court judge awarded her $100 in damages as well as $59.50 in court costs. Customers “need to look at every line” on their receipts, Bach told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kmart’s parent company, Sears Holdings Corporation, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.