Price Compare

Compare prices for any product across major US retailers, with pros/cons, trust scores, and buy recommendations.

Pattern: Inversion + Pipeline + Reviewer
This skill uses structured questions before searching (Inversion), a multi-step workflow with gates (Pipeline), and a price trust scoring system (Reviewer). Follow the phases in order — do not skip ahead.

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Phase 1 — Pre-Search: Gather Requirements (Inversion)

DO NOT start searching until you have answered the questions below.

Required (ask if not clear from the prompt)

• - Product: What exactly do they want? (brand, model, size/quantity if relevant)
• Budget: Is there a max price? (filters results before showing)
• Context: Indoor or outdoor use? New or refurbished acceptable? (avoids irrelevant results)

Ask only if relevant

• - Timeline: Need it today/this week, or can wait 2-3 weeks?
• Used/refurb OK?: If asking about electronics, clarify new vs. refurbished preference
• Specific retailers?: Any retailer they want to avoid or prefer?

If the user gives enough context (e.g., "best price for Sony WH-1000XM5 under $300"), skip redundant questions and move to Phase 2.

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Phase 2 — Execute Search (Pipeline)

Step 1 — Search All Platforms in Parallel

Try web_search first. Run all calls simultaneously:

CODEBLOCK0

Step 1 Fallback — When web_search fails

If web_search returns errors (403/429/503) or empty results, use the browser instead:

CODEBLOCK1

If browser also fails, fall back to a single web_fetch on Google Shopping:
CODEBLOCK2

Step 2 — Fetch Top Results (with Browser Fallback)

For each platform that returned results, attempt web_fetch:

URL patterns:

• - Amazon: INLINECODE4
• Walmart: INLINECODE5
• Target: INLINECODE6
• Best Buy: INLINECODE7
• eBay: INLINECODE8
• Temu: INLINECODE9
• Costco: INLINECODE10
• Google Shopping: INLINECODE11

Browser fallback for JS-rendered pages:
If web_fetch returns a bot-check page or empty content for Amazon/Walmart/Target/Temu:

CODEBLOCK3

Step 3 — Load References

Always load these reference files:

read(path="{skill_dir}/references/platforms.md")
read(path="{skill_dir}/references/trust-checklist.md")

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Phase 3 — Price Trust Scoring (Reviewer)

Apply the trust score from trust-checklist.md to every price result. Flag suspicious prices before presenting.

Trust Score Criteria (Reviewer Pattern)

For each platform result, score:

Signal	Score	Meaning
Official store / first-party seller	✅ +2	Authentic, full warranty
4.5+ stars, 500+ reviews

✅ +1 | Popular, likely real |
| Price history shown (Google Shopping) | ✅ +1 | Can verify if it's a good deal |
| "was $X, now $Y" with X > 30% above market | ⚠️ -2 | Fake discount — X was never real |
| No reviews / <10 reviews | ⚠️ -1 | Hard to verify quality |
| Temu unbranded generic | ⚠️ -1 | Quality not assured |
| Used/refurbished | ℹ️ ±0 | Normal risk, acceptable if disclosed |
| eBay seller <95% rating | ⚠️ -2 | High return/defect risk |
| "Only 2 left!" / countdown timers | 🚩 -1 | Dark pattern, ignore |
| Price < 30% of average market | 🚩 -3 | Almost certainly fake/knockoff |

Trust Score Totals

• - +3 to +5: 🟢 Reliable — show prominently
• +1 to +2: 🟡 Acceptable — show with note
• 0 to -1: 🟠 Caution — show only if user OK with risk
• -2 or below: 🔴 Suspicious — skip or warn explicitly

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Phase 4 — Price Anomaly Gate (Pipeline)

Before presenting results, check for anomalies:

Gate: If any result is >50% below market average
→ Flag as "⚠️ Suspicious cheap — likely fake/counterfeit. Verify before buying."

Gate: If Temu price is <30% of branded alternatives
→ Add warning: "Temu's low price suggests unbranded/knockoff quality. Compare photos with official listing."

Gate: If price has moved >20% in 30 days (from Google Shopping)
→ Note: "↗ Price up X% in 30 days — not the best time" OR "↓ Price down X% — good time to buy"

Gate: If web_search AND browser both failed for a platform
→ Do NOT fabricate prices. Mark that platform as "❌ Data unavailable — results may be incomplete."

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Phase 5 — Output (Generator)

Use this structure every time:

📦 [Product Name]

Quick summary: [1 sentence: best pick + price range]

Trust-scored comparison:

Platform	Price	Ship	Rating	Trust	Verdict
...	...	...	...	🟢/🟡/🟠/🔴	...

Recommended:

🥇 Best overall: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
🥈 Runner-up: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
♻️ Best used/refurb: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]
💸 Budget pick: [Platform] — $XX — [1 sentence why]

⚠️ Warnings & gotchas:

• - [Any trust score issues, fake discounts, shipping gotchas]

📈 Price trend:

• - [From Google Shopping: "↓ Good time — down 20% from 90-day average" OR "↗ Rising — up 15% in 30 days"]

🔗 Direct links:

• - Amazon · Walmart · Target · Best Buy · eBay · Temu

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Output Examples

Example — Basketball

### 📦 Wilson NBA Official Game Ball (Size 7)

**Quick summary:** Best authentic option is DICK'S at $219.99 (11% off); cheapest decent ball is Walmart's Wilson Prestige at $15.94 for outdoor use.

| Platform | Price | Ship | Rating | Trust | Verdict |
|---------|-------|------|--------|-------|---------|
| DICK'S | $219.99 | Free | ⭐ 4.7 (129) | 🟢 | 🔥 Best Price + ⭐ Best Value — 11% off, 90-day returns |
| Wilson.com | $219.95 | Free ($50+) | ⭐ 4.5 (64) | 🟢 | ⚡ Fastest — direct from manufacturer |
| Scheels | $219.95 | — | — | 🟡 | Same price, reliable retailer |
| NBA Store | $249.99 | Free ($50+) | ⭐ 4.6 | 🟢 | ❌ Overpriced — avoid |
| eBay | $190.00 | +$7.95 | varies | 🟠 | ♻️ Bulk deal — verify seller rating 98%+ first |

**⚠️ Warnings & gotchas:**
- The official Wilson game ball is **genuine leather — for indoor use only**. New it is slippery; needs 2-3 weeks of break-in.
- eBay at $190 is suspicious for new — verify authenticity before buying.
- Temu had no relevant results (mostly unbranded generic balls under $10 — 🔴 low quality risk).

**📈 Price trend:** → Stable — typically $220, within normal range for 90 days.

**Recommended:**
🥇 **Best overall:** DICK'S Sporting Goods — $219.99 — matches all-time low, free shipping, 90-day returns.
🥈 **Runner-up:** Wilson.com — $219.95 — direct from maker, 30-day returns.
💸 **Budget outdoor:** Walmart — Wilson Prestige Outdoor — $15.94, pickup today.

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Quick Rules

• - Trust score every result before showing it. Never present a 🔴 price without a warning.
• Always show total cost (price + shipping). A "cheaper" item with $20 shipping may cost more.
• Parallelize all searches — never run them sequentially unless using fallback.
• Flag fake discounts. "Was $X" where X was never actually sold = -2 trust score.
• No fabricated prices. If a platform's data is unavailable, say so.
• Direct links in every response. Users need to be able to click and buy.
• Platforms: Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, eBay, Temu, Costco, Google Shopping. Add Kroger for groceries.