[rlpb]

Traditionally this is how markets worked. Every purchase was individually negotiated. It's only in recent times that uniform "consumer" pricing was even invented.

> ...no matter which arbitrary metric is being used as justification for squeezing every last possible penny out of you.

This is how free markets are supposed to work. The seller seeks to maximize the price and the buyer seeks to minimize it. Lazy buyers who don't bother checking the competition can expect to pay more.

The problem occurs when there is limited competition. In that situation I'm in favor of regulation (as well as to protect certain classes of people such as race, gender etc). But I don't think that's a problem in this case - or at least, that's not what you're arguing?