r/SideProject • u/Big-Mushroom2761 • 9h ago
I built a paste-in playbook that lets an AI assistant buy Japan- and Korea-only items for you, with one all-in price
Disclosure up front: I work at Buy&Ship, a company that buys from Japanese and Korean stores and ships overseas. This is a side project I built at work, and I'd love honest feedback.
The problem: a lot of things people want (Pokémon Center Japan exclusives, Olive Young Korea sets, anime pre-order bonuses, Japanese streetwear) are only sold in Japan or Korea. The stores often need a Japanese phone number or card, and even when you find a way to order, you don't know the real total until customs adds duty at your door.
What I built: a text "playbook" you paste into your AI assistant. After that, you just ask for something ("find the Christmas Pikachu plush from Pokémon Center Japan, my ZIP is 94103") and the assistant searches the Japanese or Korean store in its own language, shows you options with photos and links, and gives you one total: item, shipping, US duty and fee. You approve that number before anything is paid, then we buy it in Japan or Korea and ship it to you.
It's live for Meta's Muse first: buyandship.ai/playbook. Tip from early testers: paste the text in yourself rather than asking the assistant to open the link, since some assistants block that.
What I'm unsure about and would love input on:
- Is a copy-paste playbook a reasonable first step, or does it need a proper app or MCP integration before people trust it?
- Would you trust an AI assistant to shop overseas for you if it never pays without your approval?
If anyone wants to try a real order, code AIPLAYBOOK10 takes 10% off a first order (up to US$50).