Amazon alleged price‑fixing

California says Amazon used its clout to push brands and rival retailers to raise online prices so Amazon would not be undercut. (oag.ca.gov) The new allegations came in an unsealed filing released Monday, April 20, 2026, in a San Francisco Superior Court case that California Attorney General Rob Bonta first filed in September 2022. Bonta is asking the court for a preliminary injunction while the case heads toward a 2027 trial. (abcnews.com) California says the pattern was simple: Amazon flagged a lower price on another site, told the vendor to “fix” it, and threatened penalties such as reduced promotion or removal from Amazon if the lower price stayed up. (oag.ca.gov, abcnews.com) The filing names Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Chewy, Best Buy and Wayfair among the retailers whose sites were allegedly affected, with brands acting as the go-between. California says the conduct spanned years and product categories. (oag.ca.gov, changeflow.com) One example in the filing involves Levi Strauss khaki pants. California says Amazon pointed Levi’s to lower Walmart prices, and Levi’s then told Amazon it had spoken with Walmart and moved the price back to $29.99. (abcnews.com) Another example involves Hanes. According to the filing described by CNBC, Hanes told Amazon it had contacted both Target and Walmart to raise prices after Amazon sent links showing those sites were cheaper. (cnbc.com) California also points to an Allergan exchange over eye drops. After Amazon suppressed a listing because Walmart’s price was lower, the company told Amazon that “Walmart got their price back up” to $16.99, and Amazon restored the listing, CNBC reported from the court papers. (cnbc.com) The case turns on a basic antitrust question: whether Amazon was competing by lowering its own prices, or using its market power to stop lower prices from appearing elsewhere. California says Amazon’s contracts and enforcement kept prices “artificially high” across the internet. (cnbc.com, oag.ca.gov) That theory overlaps with a broader federal case. The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general sued Amazon in September 2023, alleging the company used anticompetitive tactics to block rivals and sellers from lowering prices. (ftc.gov) Amazon says California’s new motion does not change the merits. An Amazon spokesperson called it “a transparent attempt to distract from the weakness of its case,” while Walmart said it does not comment on litigation in which it is not a party and that it works to keep prices low. (cnbc.com, abcnews.com) The next fight is over whether a judge orders Amazon to stop the challenged practices before trial. If California wins that request, the case would move from a long-running antitrust suit to a direct test of how much control one marketplace can exert over prices across the wider retail web. (abcnews.com, oag.ca.gov)