Retailers have figured out how to set prices based on your age, mood, and sexual orientation

  • Drusas
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    635 months ago

    I still remember the low-grade shock I felt a decade ago when I learned that price discrimination is often perfectly legal in the United States. In law school, my antitrust professor introduced us to the obscure Depression-era Robinson-Patman Antidiscrimination Act by quickly highlighting that this law very much failed to live up to its title. Under the long-standing law, companies can face ruinous penalties for price discrimination only if they’re discriminating against other businesses.

    That’s so American.

    • @DekesEnormous
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      295 months ago

      So everyone should open their own LLC. and file price discrimination suits, right?

      I fucking hate it here.

      • @Sanctus
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        145 months ago

        Unironically yes. People have less rights than businesses here.

  • @satanmat
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    95 months ago

    I remember discussing this in business school in the 90s. Airlines mostly have it working; you can see it from time to time on Amazon…. But use my sweet summer children; this is what every industry would kill to have

  • @[email protected]
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    75 months ago

    This is a great reason to smudge your digital fingerprint.

    I’m pretty confident my paid VPN pays for itself every month in my not being over charged quite as badly.

    • @JiveTurkey
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      65 months ago

      How exactly would a VPN prevent this? It doesn’t make you anonymous.

      • @[email protected]
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        65 months ago

        How exactly would a VPN prevent this?

        VPN masks your IP of origin.

        You need to block cookies and use private browsing, by default, as well.

        Also, sacrifice two chickens under a full moon, ever fortnight. Though I’m not convinced that’s not just something Doug is into, now that I think about it.

        It doesn’t make you anonymous.

        The chicken thing does. At least, it certainly works for Doug.