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.
You’re not alone in that. A lot of people’s care for ethics ends where a good deal begins.
What you should know is that these companies offer these good deals for a variety of reasons, but usually involving shady or borderline illegal business practices in one way or another.
I understand you’re on a fixed income - I sympathize with that and I don’t want to be rude to a stranger - but is the deal on a particular item you want worth the cost of endorsing what these companies do and stand for?
That 50 bucks means I only eat rice for a week. I’ve done it before, but I do not enjoy it.
$50 is the difference between having to eat only rice for a week, but you absolutely NEED a gaming monitor thats 32-43 inches with 4K resolution and 120hz refresh rate?
The only person your justifying your continued use of amazon to is yourself, and you’re doing a poor job.
Average Lemmy user 😅
And I’ll keep on doing it!
More power to you I guess. Hogs love rolling in shit.
I only roll in yours, because apparently it doesn’t stink…
I’m not the one acting like a martyr because not buying my 4K 43 inch 120hz monitor from Amazon would mean I’d starve and die from having to eat rice for a week lmao.
No. Your just acting like, because you’re not shopping Amazon, that makes you almost as good as Jesus.
There’s no limit to the self righteousness of lemmy users. Common mentality around here.
I don’t think I’m expressing myself clearly. I understand the fixed income part and what 50 bucks can do to a person’s living situation. No issue there.
On the front end of your decision, you’re starting with “I need X with Y and Z”. None of these variables are negotiable? The “need” isn’t negotiable? Or are they not as negotiable as the care for the company’s awful business practices?
The systemic issues are the primary concern, but it is worth thinking about and examining within ourselves. We are ill-equipped to make informed decisions prior to every purchase. However, once we know how a particular purchase supports degrading the world around us, where is the line we won’t cross for a good deal?
I"m sorry my horse apparently doesn’t go as high as yours… 🙄
That’s needlessly insulting after I’ve been nothing but cordial with you. Me bringing up things that bring you discomfort to think about doesn’t mean I’m the bad guy here. Have a nice day, and enjoy your TV.
clip clop, clip clop, clip clop…
Are you here for discussion or just to make quips?
Clearly the latter. Don’t let this sour guy dampen your willingness to engage meaningfully on this platform!
I won’t let it get to me. I insist on trying to get people to question themselves and the world around them.
And to the point of the insult: I’m not on a high horse, as there is no perfectly ethical consumption under our current situation. I give money to companies who I can’t say are operating ethically. But we need to approach that and discuss that to develop our consciousness as a class. The “it was a good deal and I’m completely removed from it” is a thought-terminating sentiment that barricades us from developing our understanding of the world around us.
To their credit: there are a lot of people insulting them. Their brain views this entire thread as adversarial now. I forgive them, as they are me and I am you. Solidarity always.