Doug Ford says he will not ban companies from charging two people different prices for the same item, saying that doing so would be “socialism.”

https://www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news/government-finance-and-the-economy/socialism-does-not-work-ford-says-no-to-ban-on-personalized-algorithmic-pricing-12153208

197 points · 50 comments · view on lemmy.world

50 Comments

BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca · 70 pts · 133d (14 replies)

How is this not against the law already?

silvermoon82@wandering.shop · 41 pts · 133d (7 replies)
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reallykindasorta@slrpnk.net · 7 pts · 133d

Maximum Efficiency just like we planned.

potpotato@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 133d

Pro-business should be anti-trust.

Robinson-Patman Act is anti-trust.

Assume all buyers are potential sellers then price discrepancies are anti-trust violations.

scott_anon_21@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 125d (2 replies)

I would really like to see an NDP majority the next time around. The Liberals and Conservatives are two sides of the same pro-business coin. The media which is in that camp and benefit from either being in power do a great job of painting socialism as a scarey bad choice, and this is believed to be true by many of the people who would benefit the most.

The vast majority of the programs that benefit people enlarge, health care, dental care etc. have been achieved by NDP parties pushing for these social values. They are not bad programs, they just cannot be monetized by the elite the way they would like. And taxes are not bad because that’s how these things are paid for, and the people who need the benefit but are least able to pay for it, also pay the least tax.

How is socialism bad?

silvermoon82@wandering.shop · 2 pts · 125d (1 reply)
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scott_anon_21@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 125d

I agree that this has been true much of the time but the NDP won a majority lead by Bob Rae back in 1990. I was a young Liberal voter at the time and recall everyone being shocked. Unfortunately we were in a significant economic downturn. They took a page out of the idea of right sizing rather than down sizing with what became known as Rae days. No one had to lose a job, they just put in less hours and everyone got paid less. But no one got paid zero. Lots of generalizations there but you get the idea.

Marit Stiles and her team are doing a creditable job of holding a majority government to account. They are actively working to make people aware of what the Conservatives are trying to pull. They are using social media to expose how big business is gouging us, proposing viable solutions and giving people the opportunity to find their voice and speak their mind.

Maybe we will turn a corner next election if people get tired of the buffoonery.

arin@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 133d (1 reply)

Liberal my ass, you mean centrist.

Tiger666@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 131d

Liberals are centrists. Liberalism is not a leftist ideology.

dom@lemmy.ca · 22 pts · 133d (4 replies)

Because we dont ever elect left wing parties

n3m37h@sh.itjust.works · 15 pts · 133d (3 replies)

True, both Libs and Cons are right leaning currently. We need Avi

BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 133d (1 reply)

Big fan of this guy except for his views on military spending.

avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 133d

I'd still get him elected and lobby the party for doing domestic defence investment. That'd be easier to achieve than getting con or lib gov't to not spend much more money on foreign equipment. We still have not canceled the F35 purchase.

Smaile@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 132d

Because then never help either

panda_abyss@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 133d

An actual argument for would be haggling and bargaining at places like markets.

But to pretend selective pricing only happens there is wrong.

aceslip@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 133d (17 replies)

I can’t see the article. It’s behind a … $750 pay wall?

Is he talking about in person shopping or online shopping? Online shopping should be more regulated to avoid gouging via tracking.

In person is this not already covered under the competition act? Like you can’t charge more than what’s advertised?

avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 133d

It seems like the Competition Act was amended to water down the relevant bits in the past. Not sure when. Opening section 50(1) shows it was removed.

dom@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 133d (2 replies)

They change what's advertised to you based on what the algorithm knows about you.

aceslip@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 133d (1 reply)

Yes, that’s online shopping in a nutshell. Does not answer any of my questions.

dom@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 133d

This will also happen in person.

ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 133d

In person, the suggestion was banning camera based price changes.

Also the socialism comment was about public grocery stores.

youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 2 pts · 133d

Oh. In person gouging can be automated too, now. Seen notes on the systems. If you see anywhere start using e-ink price tags its for this.

jmill@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 133d (2 replies)

That, I think, is part of the impetus for switching to digital price tags. The tag will literally be able to charge the displyed price depending on who is walking down the aisle. This idea has been patented, and probably not by someone trying to keep anyone from doing it.

redknight942@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 133d (1 reply)

The budding companion market is gonna love this!

Rent out a grocery trip with grandpa (fixed income), or maybe John who just got out of county.

??? Profit.

jmill@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 132d

Nope, it's worse. Prices will be raised on people in too tough a spot to go somewhere else. Grandpa and John will pay the increased price because they don't have cars and this store is either the only one close enough to walk to or the near a bus stop within a route or two. If they raise the price on someone with more money, they can probably choose to go somewhere else. Unless all the chains cooperate on individual customer based price fixing I guess. Quick, someone patent that, if it hasn't been already.

n3m37h@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 133d

You need an adblocker works fine for me on Firefox with ublock

MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 133d

Hm? It worked the first few seconds, then the popup and now not anymore. Weird mechanjsm.

Also, too broken for even Archive to get formating properly. But at least it's readable.

TachyonTele@piefed.social · -2 pts · 133d (5 replies)

Why in the world would not be using an ad blocker? I have no understanding of some people

aceslip@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 133d (4 replies)

Some of us leave the house. Sometimes we can’t control what device we’re on or how it’s administered 🤷‍♂️ crazy world right?

TachyonTele@piefed.social · -2 pts · 133d (3 replies)

You can't control what device you use? What? Are you not allowed to have a phone or something lol

Eh don't worry. When you're old enough you can buy your own phone.

aceslip@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 133d (2 replies)

It’s called being at work my guy.

TachyonTele@piefed.social · -1 pts · 133d (1 reply)

It's called use your own phone. Not rocket science.

nik282000@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 133d

Why use a 6" screen when there is a fullsized monitor available? Phones are overgrown toys designed to funnel crap into the eyes of the technologically illiterate.

veeesix@lemmy.ca · 16 pts · 133d (1 reply)

So it’s ok to charge more if you look rich? Why eat the rich when you can fleece ‘em?

youcantreadthis@quokk.au · 2 pts · 133d

No,charge more if your ad profile says youre busy/rushed right now, charge more if you cant get to other stores, charge more if you have dietary restrictions...

the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 133d

"Socialism doesn't work," says man who has never tried socialism. News at 11

Akh@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 133d

Charge conservatives twice as much

notfromhere@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 133d

That’s fine. Start charging corporations hundreds of times what you’d charge a person.

dom@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 133d

And the world keeps plunging into a corporate dystopia

CircaV@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 133d

Get fucked Clown Ford. Love to see you out of public office.

Albbi@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 133d

Doug Ford wants old people to be ripped off.

pentastarm@piefed.ca · 4 pts · 133d

"Pentastarm says she will not ban herself from continuing to not vote for Doug Ford. More at 11."

Malyca@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 131d (4 replies)

I'm just visiting and curious why you guys keep electing this guy? Isn't he a crack head? You're not supposed to be taking notes from the morons on this side of the border.

jerkface@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 131d (1 reply)
  1. You're thinking of Rob Ford, not his brother Doug.

  2. The Fords pioneered the Trump schtick before Trump was ever President. America often tries out their stupid ideas here first.

Malyca@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 131d

Ah I see, thanks for explaining :)

Smaile@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 131d (1 reply)

Rob was a better person then his borther ever was, just because you watch one youtube video about a person doesn't mean you know him.

Malyca@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 131d

Absolutely agree there

Smaile@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 132d

GET THAT PRICK OUT OF OFFICE.

timewarp@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 133d

Charge more for Israelis. In fact, boycott divest & sanction any company that does business with them.

ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 131d

I guess Canada is not for sale because you found a better deal elsewhere, duggie?

sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 133d

If this were to the south, I would say it was a gambit to, you know, try to keep those types of people away.

djdarren@piefed.social · 1 pts · 125d

Ah yes, socialism.

Words don't mean anything anymore, do they?