this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2026
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta last night filed a request for a preliminary injunction in California’s existing case against Amazon for price fixing. Attorney General Bonta’s 2022 lawsuit alleged that the company stifled competition and caused increased prices across California through its anticompetitive policies in order to avoid competing on price with other retailers. New evidence paints a clearer and more shocking picture. The motion for a preliminary injunction comes after a robust discovery process where California uncovered evidence of countless interactions in which Amazon, vendors, and Amazon’s competitors agree to increase and fix the prices of products on other retail websites to bolster Amazon’s profits. Time and again, across years and product categories, Amazon has reached out to its vendors and instructed them to increase retail prices on competitors’ websites, threatening dire consequences if vendors do not comply. Vendors, bullied by Amazon’s overwhelming bargaining leverage and fearing punishment, comply — agreeing to raise prices on competitors’ websites (often with the awareness and cooperation of the competing retailer), or to remove products from competing websites altogether. Amazon’s goal is to insulate itself from price competition by preventing lower retail prices in the market at the expense of American consumers who are already struggling with a crisis of affordability.

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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 points 20 minutes ago* (last edited 15 minutes ago)

I’ve pointed out Valve doing basically the same thing; games can’t be priced lower than Steam on competing game storefronts (not Steam key resellers), or Valve will threaten to delist your game. Which would be essentially kill it. And they obviously do this to protect their chunky store fee.

But personal loyalty goes a long way.

I’m trying to reframe the perspective here, not drag into an argument about Valve. A whole lot of people feel good about finding “deals” on Amazon, about Amazon services that have helped them, and especially about the value and convenience the whole platform provides. It’s easy for Lemmy to hate on Amazon, but for the average person, I think this is a harder sell than most of us realize. They’ll dismiss it as the “market working” or California sensationalism or, more likely, just filter it out as noise in their feed, just like most PC gamers would when they read something bad about Valve.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 24 points 10 hours ago

Yeah, IIRC when a bunch of large corporations got away with doing this in the 1980s and 90s, a lot of us just assumed it would keep happening. Some people have tried raising the alarm about this, but have been shouted down pretty consistently.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 91 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

oh I just cant wait for the highest profile minor slap on the wrist of the century!

[–] Redacted@lemmy.zip 25 points 13 hours ago

Dont worry guys well give one of the richest men in the world a 100k fine!

[–] jali67@lemmy.zip 30 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah don’t worry. They’ll get a small fine and will appeal and drag it out for years

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[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 38 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

I cannot express enough how angry I am that people still use amazon. Major cringe when friends tell me all the shit they buy on there. I used it 10 years ago a couple times, never once since then. Its shit, slave labor, and enriches billionaires. No one forces you to use it.

[–] dejova281@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

It’s cringe because it’s affordable and convenient? Whenever I buy something from there I always price compare online and it’s the cheapest hands-down. Some people don’t have the luxury of constantly considering geopolitics and large-scale repercussions when they’re just simply trying to get by.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 3 points 33 minutes ago* (last edited 29 minutes ago)

It super depends on what you’re buying. Personally, I just go without in order to avoid them. The only things I ever buy from Amazon are things I cannot find anywhere else that I need to have, such as water filters for the lead pipes in Montréal.

We don’t have the luxury to ignore how bad Amazon is. Amazon is aware of this and does everything it can to force you to buy from them by under cutting other businesses until competition dries up. Every time I can buy something for a little bit more and skip Amazon that’s a huge a win for everyone from the original supplier, the more local store selling it, and the working class in general.

Edit: Reading and writing more comments, I’m gunna find a way to get those filters from elsewhere even if they cost a bunch more.

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world -1 points 1 hour ago

"some people don't have the luxury of considering whether their product is made from death camp body parts when they're just simply trying to get by"

(*) https://krakowtop.org/auschwitz-room-of-hair/

[–] Echolynx@lemmy.zip 11 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, they are a master at driving local businesses out of money. Buying a certain pet food at my local retailer (a franchisee) would be about $30. On Amazon, it's $25 (and sometimes even $15-20, if you do the subscription discount). At the local store, I'd have to pay more and drag the stuff home on my own feet.

[–] turmacar@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago

It's the Walmart model. A lot of the frustration is that it's a systemic problem where individuals are incentivized against their best interests and the best interests of their communities.

Because shareholders. The Line, must go up.

Thankfully (/s) Amazon has enough money that it's cheaper to bribe politicians than provide a better product. So systemic solutions are that much more difficult.

[–] OutForARip@lemmy.ca 13 points 12 hours ago

This is why you shouldn’t buy US

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 110 points 18 hours ago (4 children)

They're BUSTED when someone goes to prison.

[–] lemming741@lemmy.world 56 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

For now they're just SLAMMED

[–] Ruxias@lemmy.world 22 points 16 hours ago

Just wait until they get BLASTED in a strongly worded email.

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[–] chaotic_ugly@lemmy.zip 42 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

As far as distractions from the Epstein Files go, this is an exciting one.

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 31 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Can't wait for them to be fined one penny for every $20B made.

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 16 points 15 hours ago

Hey now, don’t get your hopes up.

[–] Bubbaonthebeach@lemmy.ca 11 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Quickest solution? Stop buying from Amazon. I quit cold turkey and the sky does not fall. I still buy what I need. I am sometimes saved from buying stuff that I don't really need but was easily available. Just stop buying from them. They are the evil capitalism that everyone complains about.

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Not possible for some people, for example I wanted some very basic batteries (LR736), couldn't find it anywhere in the nearest big town which is already 30km away.

Should I order a pack of them from Amazon for 1.8€, should i drive 160km to go buy them, or should I buy it in another online store and pay 6€ shipping? Easy choice no?

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 0 points 30 minutes ago

6€ is enough for you to give a sale to Amazon and take a sale away from a better business? That’s how cheap your morals are?

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 3 points 2 hours ago

You can pay 6€ for shipping today or help amazon finally become the monopolist, and then tomorrow your batteries will just cost 10€.

Another way is to ask at the next electronics store as I'm sure they can order them with their next routine shipment.

[–] Lemmynated@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 hours ago

Amazon in shambles!

[–] LoafedBurrito@lemmy.world 36 points 18 hours ago (55 children)

I've been telling people to stop supporting amazon for years, but everyone seems to have their reason to keep supporting them. This hopefully will be a good enough reason for people to finally stop shopping on amazon.

I haven't bought anything from amazon in over 12 years. I find everything on the manufacturer's website or eBay. No need to ever use amazon for anything.

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[–] WesternInfidels@feddit.online 281 points 1 day ago (5 children)

There was a time when Amazon was not full of scummy rip-off products, when it was not playing games with prices, when it was not a cloud-computing powerhouse, and you know what happened?

That's right, they crushed their adversaries (retail shopping) and earned billions in profits. They won.

But somehow that's not enough winning, there isn't enough winning until all the value has been vacuumed up from the world.

[–] MnemonicBump@lemmy.dbzer0.com 180 points 1 day ago (17 children)

Bezos explicitly undercut the competition for years to drive all of the competition out of business. Amazon took as much time from 1997-2016 to make as much profit as they did in 2017, which is also (not) coincidentally when they hit peak market saturation and were able to start raising their prices.

So what you're talking about was real, but it wasn't like, "back when Amazon was good", they were just preparing for what they are now. Having a huge monopoly on just about everything has always been their win condition, and they're no where near done winning.

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[–] SalamenceFury@piefed.social 78 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (9 children)

If America was a serious country they would break up Amazon for this AND arrest Bezos and send him to a random Supermax for corporate blackmail, mass fraud, and unfair competition. But I fear they never were.

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[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 36 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Market regulates itself or somthing.

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 7 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Kinda suspected they were doing that. Looked at some drywall panel lifts this morning and saw one for $75. Shipping however was $247. Dropped that like a hot rivet

[–] kboy101222@sh.itjust.works 5 points 13 hours ago (4 children)

I mean, that makes sense to me at least. Drywall lifts aren't difficult machines, they're basically a lifting mechanism on a steel frame.

However, they are heavy and big mother fuckers, and therefore cost a ton to ship. Shipping is damned expensive, even without price fixing and gouging.

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