Price Compare

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.

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.

Phase 2 — Execute Search (Pipeline)

Step 1 — Search All Platforms in Parallel

Try web_search first. Run all calls simultaneously:

web_search(query="site:amazon.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:walmart.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:target.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:bestbuy.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:ebay.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:temu.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="site:costco.com {product}", count=5)
web_search(query="{product} price comparison site:google.com/shopping", count=5)

Step 1 Fallback — When web_search fails

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

browser(action="navigate", url="https://www.google.com/search?q={product}+price+site:amazon.com+OR+site:walmart.com+OR+site:target.com&num=10", profile="openclaw")
browser(action="snapshot", profile="openclaw")  // extract prices from results

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

web_fetch(url="https://www.google.com/shopping?q={product}&hl=en", maxChars=10000)

Step 2 — Fetch Top Results (with Browser Fallback)

For each platform that returned results, attempt web_fetch:

URL patterns:

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k={product}&s=price-asc-rank
• Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search?q={product}
• Target: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm={product}
• Best Buy: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.phtml?st={product}
• eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw={product}&_sop=15
• Temu: https://www.temu.com/search_result.html?search_key={product}
• Costco: https://www.costco.com/search?search={product}
• Google Shopping: https://www.google.com/shopping?q={product}&hl=en

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

browser(action="navigate", url="<platform URL>", profile="openclaw")
browser(action="act", kind="evaluate", fn="() => { const items = document.querySelectorAll('[data-component-type=\"s-search-result\"]'); return Array.from(items).slice(0,5).map(i => ({ title: i.innerText.substring(0,100), price: i.querySelector('.a-price .a-offscreen, [class*=\"price\"]')?.innerText || 'N/A' })).slice(0,5); }")

Step 3 — Load References

Always load these reference files:

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

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:

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

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."

Phase 5 — Output (Generator)

Use this structure every time:

📦 [Product Name]

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

Trust-scored comparison:

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

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.

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.