Methodology
Comparable before comprehensive.
The planned comparison method starts with exact product identity, preserves original source facts, and makes uncertainty visible.
Last updated September 22, 2026
1. Resolve the exact product
A valid comparison must refer to the same exact variant. Evidence is evaluated in a strict order: standards-based barcode or GTIN, manufacturer SKU or model code, verified regional identity mapping, and explicit confirmation of attributes such as size, material, capacity, color, and hardware finish.
Product photos may eventually retrieve a small candidate set, but visual similarity alone will not create an automatic exact match.
2. Classify the price
WishWeeder distinguishes among:
- Brand-operated list price published by the brand for a market.
- Authorized retailer standard offer from a retailer permitted to sell the product.
- Conditional offer requiring a coupon, membership, financing, trade-in, or other condition.
- Marketplace or resale offer, which remains outside the first product scope.
These price types are not silently mixed or relabeled as official MSRP.
3. Preserve market context
Language and currency alone do not prove a commerce market. Each observation must retain its original amount, currency, market evidence, source, observation date, and successful verification time.
4. Normalize without hiding assumptions
Original prices remain visible. Tax and currency normalization use versioned rules and timestamped rates. A market with missing purchase location, uncertain tax treatment, stale price, or conditional-only offer remains visible where appropriate but is excluded from cheapest-market ranking.
5. Review before publication
Automated extraction creates a candidate, not a published truth. Schema validation, exact identity checks, source-policy checks, and human review precede a future transactional publication step. Failed refreshes preserve the last valid state and its freshness status.