This is the problem with all players raising prices to the same rate at nearly the same time. There are simply no alternatives and people need to pay the higher price. That's kind of the whole point of the article.
The point of the article is to get views. If it were a decent study of facts, it would be better as a peer reviewed article. But it wouldn't stand up to that scrutiny, due to the fact that in such fake collusion any player can gain by breaking the pact.
Even OPEC cannot keep all their members in check to set oil prices - countries routinely undercut them to sell more oil. This has been demonstrated time and time again in industries where people claim long term widespread collusion - such things don't last long.
