[lotsofpulp]

Buyers and sellers should be able to negotiate prices however they want. It is how markets have worked since the dawn of human trading.

It would also be costly to police.

If the problem is that a grocery store has a monopoly in an area, then that is a different problem fixed by adding grocery store(s).

[slg]

This is a law about grocery stores. How much haggling do you think is happening at grocery stores?

[bityard]

I routinely ask the cashier for half off on anything that is perfectly fine but has less-than-pristine packaging. I usually get it.

(But I understand this isn't really relevant to the article or discussion here.)

[fc417fc802]

Most markets have also had a wide variety of regulations. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that large retail operations would be prohibited from attempting a predatory scheme depending on individualized pricing. There's a tangible difference between one off purchase contracts and selling into the consumer market at large.

Sure, haggling was historically the standard but that just isn't the way these modern operations work. If an outdated practice gets caught in the crossfire when protecting consumers from imminent harm I'm okay with that.

[sidewndr46]

Most pricing laws are built on the idea that this isn't OK. For example, I can't negotiate pricing directly with an automobile manufacturer. I have to go through a dealer so I am "protected".

[fn-mote]

There are special laws made to protect the dealer's position. This is an exception not the rule.

You should justify why it is improving price (or something) for consumers if you want to hold it up as an example.

[lotsofpulp]

That is a pretty good example of why these laws are not OK.