Amazon has this hate-hate relationship with its customers; many hate it first for its behemoth size and then for its pricing which is often much higher than competitors. So, the last thing Amazon needed was the State of California filing suit against it for alleged price fixing with vendors like Levi’s and Hanes. The charge is that Amazon pressured those suppliers to raise their prices with other retailers (think Walmart) so Amazon would look good in pricing comparisons. Who knows if this is true or not, but the damage has already been done, reinforcing consumer beliefs that Amazon doesn’t play fair. When you get to be that big and dominating, you need to be acutely aware that any of your activities, whether true or not, can be perceived as harmful to your brand. Let’s see if this suit wipes that smile right off of Amazon’s logo.