Test purchases are made at various establishments throughout the county in order to check the accuracy of transactions. Goods are selected at random and a purchase is made to determine if customers are being charged the advertised price. Consumer complaints received by the department are investigated in this manner to check for any discrepancies. In one way or another, all of commerce is affected by the activities of weighmasters. Weighmasters are persons who are licensed by the DMS to certify the weighed, measured, or counted quantity of any commodity.
Courts of law recognize the certificates issued by weighmasters as being a legal document.
As such, there are criteria that must be followed by weighmasters when issuing weighmaster certificates. Petroleum Products Nationally, the petroleum program run by weights and measures in California is unique. Undercover purchases are made to investigate consumer complaints and to inspect the accuracy of the transactions. Undercover purchases also serve as a method for gathering samples of products used for determining compliance with standards. Labeling regulations are also strictly enforced to provide product identity and information to the seller and the consumer.