They may say that, but they are in violation of the law, and I'm not talking a tort.
Oil Company: "I'm sorry sir, if you sell gas for less than $10.00 a gallon you will no longer be a dealer for us."
"CLICK!" I can hear the key turn in the jail cell.
Why do we put up with it? Because its not high on the list of things you need to survive. Probably come in about...."what are we talking about?"
When I was a dealer, back when dinosaurs walked the earth, and we had flint pull-tabs, there was none of this nonsense. I priced my stock according to what it cost, and what my competition was charging. That simple. Obviously a person can't sell it for less than he paid for it, figuring in relevant cost.
{Hell there's even one dealer that even gives things away, and it still costs you money}