Pricing policies in specialty markets are not unheard of. The ONLY thing not having a pricing policy helps is your wallet. Eventually, the lack of consistent pricing that ensures the health of the manufacturer, the distributor and the independent dealer results in a race to the bottom where corners are cut to keep prices low and competitive. Easiest example: Look at the low quality crap overflowing the shelves at your local walmart. And THEN, even though you may have a few more bucks in your wallet, you end up with a crappy product.

Not to say Shimano is mr. nice guy. Going dealer direct was a grab at all that sweet, sweet margin and the result was an awful deal for local dealers which resulted in a bad customer experience for people needing their Shimano equipped bikes repaired. However, the product is still good.

EDIT: I will agree that the current price policy is hurting the smaller U.S. retailers, but I disagree that it should just be cheap as dirt everywhere to level the playing field.