they put a new model SKU sticker over the UPC of an old model fan. That's illegal in NH. What prints out on the receipt is the UPC code numbers. My receipt would not have matched the item I purchased. That's illegal in NH per the NH Consumer Protection Act. In NH, you can't sell an item as a different model. I scanned and paid for the exact item I got.
I would assume they could charge a generic clearance SKU in NH, but they CANNOT sell something as a different model.
Had I paid for it under the new model SKU, I would be screwed if I wanted to return it, because now my item would not match my receipt.
By what you're saying, if they had a SKU sticker for a table saw on a cordless drill, I would have to pay for the "table saw" sku, and my receipt would show a table saw.
You're probably right about them being able to charge whatever price they want, and in HD's case they would have to use generic clearance SKUs, but they can't sell you an item when you clearly bought a different item.