http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_antitrust_law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligopolists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacit_collusion
Despite supply and demand, I find the hyper inflated prices and current business practices surrounding mining gear to be disturbing. In addition to inflated prices, well known online retailers selling "sold out" of particular to turn around and retail them on auction sites; as well as reserve stacks of mining equipment to sell as bundled packages to strike a higher sales price without creating value and impeding the free market flow of goods.
Is there any basis of claim? I truly despise these types of business practices.
No, there is no basis of claim.
Retailers are free to sell their products via auction if they want to, and to sell them as bundles.
If prices have shot up, then either:
a) it is because supply is exceeding demand, or
b) all online retailers have agreed to raise prices, and AMD/NVidia have agreed not to supply anyone else who could otherwise undercut the cartel
A seems much more likely.