If you buy something online at least occasionally, you may have already come across a phenomenon that is increasingly taking over online stores, both foreign and Russian. We are talking about the so-called dynamic pricing, and not the one that has been used for several years, for example by Russian railways, and depends on the number of train tickets available, the level of demand, etc. At the same time, the prices in some cases can change almost twice!
It is clear that people in most cases are not satisfied. Are you willing to pay a lot more for the thing you need than another buyer, just because the seller's algorithm decided you can afford a certain amount?
Since both the program itself and the underlying technology are new, in many countries the authorities are still cautious in introducing clear legal regulation on the subject. In fact, there is only a general understanding of the ethical skepticism of such price manipulations. Therefore, for example, in the United States and the United Kingdom, sellers are asked to ensure maximum transparency in terms of pricing for buyers.
Even in our country there are no clear legislative provisions that can limit such manipulations. The law on the platform economy, adopted last year, prohibits the creation of "discriminatory conditions for people belonging to the same category" on the digital platform. However, shop owners and online marketplaces can still have room for manipulation here. They can always justify why you and another user who was offered the low price belong to different "categories". It is clear that in the near future it will be necessary to introduce some clarity at the legislative level to the rules of the game on this issue.