# Policy: Pricing Verification — No Guessing

**Set by:** Mike Swanson, 2026-06-02

Any time a cost or price is presented to the team or a client, it MUST be verified via a
live web lookup before being stated. Never use training-data recollections or estimates.

## Rules

- Hardware, parts, software licensing, SaaS pricing, labor rates — all require real-time verification.
- Use WebFetch / WebSearch first. Fall back to headless Chrome (`web-fetch-chrome.py`) if bot-blocked.
- Always cite source and date inline: `[$X.XX — Amazon, 2026-06-02]`
- If no pricing source is reachable, state that explicitly. Do NOT substitute a guess or a range
  "from memory."
- Applies in all contexts: Discord bot, main session, any Claude session in this repo.

## Scope

Applies to ALL estimate types:
- Computer hardware (drives, RAM, CPUs, etc.)
- Replacement parts and peripherals
- Software licensing and subscriptions
- Third-party service quotes
- Repair labor estimates (when citing market rates)

## Why

Hardware prices fluctuate significantly. A "budget" vs "mid-range" vs "quality" drive can
vary by 2-3x depending on current market. Presenting stale or fabricated numbers to clients
damages trust and can result in inaccurate quotes.
