Morton Williams Supermarket — Local services in New York

I grabbed potatoes from a basket labeled “99¢ per pound – this week’s special.” At checkout, the cashier rang them up at $2.50 each. When I objected, management tried to give me a lecture on produce rather than honoring the posted price. A restocker even admitted that they knowingly leave items under the wrong sign because “the baskets don’t fit the shelf properly.” That is not an accident - that is deception.

Under NYC Administrative Code § 20-708, every item sold in the city must display its actual selling price at the point of display. Charging me $2.50 each when the basket was labeled 99¢/lb violates that law outright.

Under New York Agriculture & Markets Law § 197-b, consumers must be charged the lowest advertised or posted price. Here, the posted price was 99¢/lb - yet the store knowingly charged more. That’s an overcharge, plain and simple.

New York’s General Business Law §§ 349–350 also prohibits false advertising and deceptive business practices. Mislabeled pricing like this is a textbook example of false advertising meant to mislead shoppers.

And at the federal level, the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. § 45) makes it unlawful for businesses to engage in “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” Misplacing potatoes under a false price tag and charging more at checkout falls squarely under this definition.

So not only was this a shady customer experience - it was a violation of city, state, and federal law.

I eventually got the potatoes for the advertised price, but only after being insulted and made to argue my case. How many other shoppers, especially elderly or distracted customers, are being overcharged without realizing it?

This store’s conduct is not just unprofessional - it’s illegal. If they’ll play games with something as basic as potatoes, what else are they misleading you on?

Document everything, report them to NYC’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the NYS Attorney General, or even the FTC. This store should not be allowed to profit...

I love their premade sandwiches but sometimes they dont have packets of mayo in the boxes. And even if they do I like to have extra mayo.(some of the subs are huge, and need two!) I asked for another packet with a sandwich today and the man at the deli told me no even though they always give them to me. Then I said even if i paid extra ? He said no we cant. Then I asked to make a sandwich (because I wanted to add the condiments that I liked) even if it cost extra... and he said no because" they dont recreate the premade sandwiches"... But my sandwich wouldnt be the same because I would be adding mustard and mayo.... I just left and went to the deli across the street. Its sad because I work across the street and buy sandwiches from here atleast twice a week and have been happy to come here regularly since september when I first started working around here... But I need my mayo and condiments :( is that so hard to ask for? I feel like the least the man could have done was said let me check with my manager.... Why cant u guys add mustard and mayo on the sandwich for an extra cost? Or sell extra packets or containers for extra cost? I feel like that wouldnt be too hard to make happen. Also dont understand why he couldnt just make another sandwich.... What is the point of even having a deli that makes sandwiches than.. I sadly wont be coming back here even though I love the blueberry pie and sandwiches :( I cant support a business that is doesnt even try to be helpful... Fyi I get these sandwiches on my work break. Dont have a huge tub of...

I don’t know about other Morton Williams stores, but the one on first Avenue and E. 81st St., deserves less than one star, but that was not possible! No senior citizens day! No frequent shopper card! The store is in dire need of being shut down and refurbished! Invariably the freezer cases are not in working order and the merchandise has to be moved to somewhere else in the store. The shelves in the freezer cases have dozens and dozens of old price stickers stuck all over them. They clean the glass doors, but never the shelves! At various times, the ice cream containers are covered in ice crystals. They need to upgrade the refrigeration system. You can buy a container of milk that says it is good for at least a week and it goes bad in five days! For the most part, the staff is very nice, but they cannot do anything that they are not told to do. At one point there was broken glass in the cheese case , a large crack, running up the whole side of the case! I pointed it out, and the solution was to put a piece of cardboard over it! Finally, finally, they fixed it properly. This is the orphan store...