February 24, 2026
Buy Box, Big Backlash
Amazon Busted for Widespread Scheme to Inflate Prices Across the Economy
Shoppers feel scammed as commenters demand jail time and mock tiny fines
TLDR: California’s attorney general asked a court to immediately halt Amazon’s alleged price-fixing across the web. Commenters erupted—calling for jail time, mocking tiny fines, and saying this is why everyday prices keep rising—making this case feel like a potential turning point for shoppers’ wallets.
California’s top cop just lobbed a grenade at Amazon, accusing the retail titan of an economy‑wide price‑fixing scheme and asking a judge to stop it now. The crowd went wild. One user dropped receipts with the official press release, while others said this has been obvious for years. The vibe: “Finally!” mixed with “What took so long?”
Commenters claim Amazon pressures sellers to never offer lower prices anywhere else, then hides behind the Prime promise of “free shipping” and the mysterious Buy Box that picks who gets the sale. One pointed to Amazon scraping rival sites, another cried “insane fees”, and a chorus argued the whole setup nudges prices up on and off Amazon. With 200 million Prime members and a reported $426B in North American shopping revenue, the stakes feel huge. People cited third‑party prices rising ~7% a year, more than inflation—cue the “free shipping, not free prices” meme.
But the spiciest debate: punishment. Sarcasm lit up the thread—“Expect a tiny fine, nothing changes”—while the hardliners demanded executive jail time. The big question: will a judge hit pause early, signaling Amazon is likely to lose? If yes, commenters say it could be a turning point for everyone’s grocery bill and gadget cart.
Key Points
- •California AG Rob Bonta filed for an immediate injunction to halt an alleged Amazon-led price-fixing scheme.
- •The filing alleges Amazon pressured vendors to raise prices on and off its platform, sometimes with other retailers’ cooperation.
- •Amazon faces trials in January 2027; the new motion seeks relief a year earlier based on alleged strong evidence.
- •Amazon’s 2025 North America online shopping revenue was $426 billion, with third-party goods prices reportedly rising 7% annually.
- •Prior actions and platform features (anti-discounting policies, Prime, and the Buy Box) are cited as mechanisms influencing pricing and competition.