Blogger Comment: The adopted Jeff Bezos will not get any jail time for this as he is protected by his fraternity of mega-centenary billionaire equals who control may politicians and judges… so when you are someone like Bezos and his cohort equivalents, they can do whatever they want and to the people who buy off him and get away with whatever… where did Bezos get his personal 100s of billions in a relatively short period of time like all of them, as where more importantly, did he get his seed millions and billions to make Amazon what it is today the the really big question hovering over all of these mega-rich people…the answer I am afraid is not a nice one…
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A newly released, largely unredacted court filing has revealed that Amazon pressured major brands to push rival retailers into raising prices, a practice the state argues amounts to illegal price fixing.
The filing was released by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The 19-page memorandum, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, includes internal emails that prosecutors say show Amazon leveraging its market power to influence pricing across competing platforms, including Walmart and Target.
Emails Detail Alleged Pricing Pressure
The filing is part of the case The People of the State of California v. Amazon.com Inc. (CGC-22-601826), first brought in September 2022.
California alleges Amazon operated what it describes as a “Retail Price Fixing Scheme.”
The Jeff Bezos-owned company is accused of using its dominance to pressure vendors into ensuring prices did not fall below certain levels elsewhere.
Bonta said the newly unredacted material provides unusually direct evidence.
“You don’t see price fixing so explicitly and egregiously in writing like this,” Bonta told reporters.
According to the filing, Amazon flagged lower-priced items sold by competitors and then communicated with brands to address what it viewed as pricing discrepancies.
In one example cited, Amazon identified Levi Strauss products being sold at lower prices through Walmart.
The filing states that Levi Strauss subsequently worked with Walmart to raise those prices, after which Amazon matched the higher pricing.
The documents describe similar interactions involving companies such as Hanes, Allergan, and other vendors, with brands allegedly acting as intermediaries between Amazon and competing retailers.
Enforcement Tools and Internal Practices
The filing also outlines internal mechanisms Amazon allegedly used to enforce pricing expectations, including reduced product visibility, loss of “Buy Box” placement, and order suspensions.
California argues these tools gave Amazon “overwhelming bargaining leverage” over vendors, effectively allowing the company to influence pricing beyond its own platform.
The memorandum also references internal terminology and practices, including directives to handle certain pricing discussions by phone rather than email.
Bonta said the conduct harms consumers by creating what he described as an “invisible price floor” across online retail.
“The company is price fixing, colluding with vendors and other retailers to raise costs for Americans beyond what the market requires,” Bonta said in a statement.
WATCH:
Amazon Pushes Back
Amazon disputed the allegations, calling the filing an attempt to distract from what it described as a weak case.
“Amazon is consistently identified as America’s lowest-priced online retailer, and we’re proud of the low prices customers find when shopping in our store,” a company spokesperson said.
“Amazon looks forward to responding in court at the appropriate time.”
Broader Antitrust Pressure Builds
The case is one of several major legal challenges facing Amazon.
A hearing on California’s request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for July 23, 2026, with a full trial set for January 2027.
Separately, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and multiple states have filed antitrust claims alleging Amazon maintains a monopoly in online retail through practices that disadvantage competitors and sellers.
In addition, the FTC previously reached a settlement with Amazon over allegations related to its Prime subscription service.
The company agreed to significant financial penalties while not admitting wrongdoing.
High-Stakes Fight Ahead
Legal analysts say the internal emails cited in the filing could become a central focus as the case moves forward, particularly if they demonstrate coordinated efforts to influence pricing across multiple retailers.
Amazon is expected to argue that vendors independently set their prices and that its practices ultimately benefit consumers.
For now, the unredacted documents offer a detailed look at how regulators believe pricing decisions may be shaped behind the scenes in modern e-commerce, setting the stage for a high-profile legal battle over competition and consumer costs.
Follow the link for the source… https://slaynews.com/news/unredacted-court-filing-exposes-amazons-retail-price-fixing/
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