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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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 4 points 19 minutes ago

You can stop buying from Amazon whenever you choose to. There are online alternatives to every product they sell. You don't need to be part of it. Whatever excuse you give is wrong.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 6 points 37 minutes ago (1 children)

New evidence shows Amazon, its vendors, and competing retailers are price fixing, hiking up prices for consumer products and making Amazon richer and richer

So, jail time it is for Jeff Bezos, right?

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 4 points 21 minutes ago

You joke, but...

Well, yeah, it's just a joke. Not a funny one, either.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 2 points 22 minutes ago (1 children)

All these comments reminded me why we got the personal responsibility to recycle plastic, and the corporations got more incentives to produce and consume plastic. All you tankies need to take responsibility for your voting habits and get out of poor people’s spending habits. You sound like the capitalists. Cut the avocado toast out and the world will change.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 1 points 21 minutes ago (1 children)

Tankies trying not to complete a horseshoe with a group they hate: challenge impossible!

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 minutes ago (1 children)

I think you're supposed to switch accounts between comments.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 1 points 3 minutes ago

No just wanted to add that in without an edit. It’s just how my brain works. I don’t have 2 accounts. I don’t need a safe space or a chorus. I said what I said. Glad I inspired you enough to comment. Stay mad tankie

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 7 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] NannerBanner@literature.cafe 1 points 33 minutes ago

Valve's not a good guy, but your attempt to "reframe the perspective" is lacking a major detail. If amazon were to simply GIVE you the product after you've paid the competitor then it's quite a different story... yet that's what steam will do.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 1 points 49 minutes ago* (last edited 42 minutes ago)

I boycott pretty much all the big corporations. I can’t really boycott Amazon because I am in a super rural part of the US and run a small business. Like most small businesses I purchase a lot of random doodads and thingamabobbers from china. Amazons monopoly on the US post office and their logistic network that gets bulk goods from china to my house is hard to live without. They fix more than prices, the whole economy is stacked in their favor. They basically won globalism and it was bad for the globe.

Valves scope is much smaller and less destructive. They keep their customers due to loyalty and the investment into a steam library.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 26 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 1 points 10 minutes ago

Were Boomers in power then? Ah, yeah they took over sitting as president after Regan, so like late 80s/early 90s. They've been sitting as president since, and they're the most spoiled generation there has ever been. So, it makes sense they'd ignore anything with consequences later down the line. Everything was handed to them, then they hiked up the ladder behind them.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 98 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] Redacted@lemmy.zip 27 points 14 hours ago

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

[–] jali67@lemmy.zip 32 points 16 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 42 points 16 hours ago (3 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.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 3 points 37 minutes ago

Feel free to provide goods to my rural community any time! You can’t believe that poor people have budget consideration and seek the cheapest product?

[–] dejova281@lemmy.world 4 points 4 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 2 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 2 points 34 minutes ago

No bro water filters from Amazon are unethical, please expose yourself to lead because some guy on lemmy is virtue signaling /s

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world -1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

"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/

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 1 points 33 minutes ago

Jesus H Fucking Christ. How about electing a government that will regulate Amazon instead of comparing poor people who need consumer goods to nazis. This is some tankie ass behavior

[–] Echolynx@lemmy.zip 11 points 12 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 10 points 12 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 15 points 14 hours ago

This is why you shouldn’t buy US

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 118 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

They're BUSTED when someone goes to prison.

[–] lemming741@lemmy.world 60 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

For now they're just SLAMMED

[–] Ruxias@lemmy.world 24 points 18 hours ago

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

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[–] chaotic_ugly@lemmy.zip 45 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] myrrh@ttrpg.network 1 points 27 minutes ago

...did bezos get mixed up the honeypot?..

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 34 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

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

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[–] Bubbaonthebeach@lemmy.ca 14 points 15 hours ago (2 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.

[–] myrrh@ttrpg.network 1 points 24 minutes ago

...i place amazon orders maybe a half-dozen times per year, typically hard-to-find specialty items from manufacturers who only offer an amazon storefront...

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 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?

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 4 points 3 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.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 0 points 1 hour 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?

[–] LoafedBurrito@lemmy.world 37 points 19 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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