Pick a mattress under budget from real reviews with ChatGPT
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- by Jessica Yun (The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Evidence: Article or interviewA newsletter, journalist or interview account of what happened.
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Outcome
The Sydney Morning Herald's Jessica Yun asked ChatGPT for the best mattress around $600, with top three picks based on quality and value informed by real reviews. She looked at all three, chose a hybrid mattress and paid for it in under 10 minutes, $59 under budget, and says she was delighted with it less than two weeks later.
Poster says:Bought in under 10 minutes, $59 below budget
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Agent
Prompt Original prompt
Exact prompt as published in the source.
What’s the best mattress I can find for around $600? Give me your top three suggestions based on quality and value, and incorporate real product reviews and user comments to inform your answers.
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Optional stronger version
Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Shortlist the best-value option for a purchase within my budget, based on real reviews, so I can decide quickly. Fill in before running: - What I'm buying: [e.g. queen mattress] - Budget: [AMOUNT AND CURRENCY] - My needs: [e.g. firmness, sleep position, allergies] - Where I live (for availability and delivery): [COUNTRY/CITY] - Deal-breakers: [e.g. no foam smell, must have trial period] Rules: - Give exactly three options available where I live, within budget. - Summarize what real reviewers praise and complain about for each, and where those reviews come from. - Include trial period, warranty, delivery cost and return policy. - Note any paid placements or affiliate-heavy sources you relied on. - If a site asks for a login, a CAPTCHA or payment details, stop and hand control back to me. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - Check whether a cheaper price exists at another major retailer before I buy. Output: A comparison table of the three options and your pick for me, with a one-line reason. You'll know it worked when: I can buy confidently in minutes, under budget, with a return option if it's wrong. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
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Your prompt
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Shortlist the best-value option for a purchase within my budget, based on real reviews, so I can decide quickly. Fill in before running: - What I'm buying: [e.g. queen mattress] - Budget: [AMOUNT AND CURRENCY] - My needs: [e.g. firmness, sleep position, allergies] - Where I live (for availability and delivery): [COUNTRY/CITY] - Deal-breakers: [e.g. no foam smell, must have trial period] Rules: - Give exactly three options available where I live, within budget. - Summarize what real reviewers praise and complain about for each, and where those reviews come from. - Include trial period, warranty, delivery cost and return policy. - Note any paid placements or affiliate-heavy sources you relied on. - If a site asks for a login, a CAPTCHA or payment details, stop and hand control back to me. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - Check whether a cheaper price exists at another major retailer before I buy. Output: A comparison table of the three options and your pick for me, with a one-line reason. You'll know it worked when: I can buy confidently in minutes, under budget, with a return option if it's wrong. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
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Source
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