Method and system for automatically adjusting a posted selling price

• US 20030083981A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Samuel Jerrold, Fisher, Alan S.
• Application Number:
  US10/316,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083981A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and system for automatically adjusting a posted selling price of an unsold item based on a price adjustment parameter.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate electronic commerce, the method including:

automatically adjusting a posted selling price of an unsold item based on a price adjustment parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the posted selling price is a minimum bid price of the item in an electronic auction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic adjustment of the posted selling price includes automatically reducing the posted selling price.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the price is automatically reduced by a set amount.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the price is automatically reduced by a set percentage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic adjustment of the posted selling price includes automatically increasing the posted selling price.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set amount.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set percentage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a bidding activity over time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on an amount of bids received.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a number of items for which bids are received.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a merchandise catalog page to include the adjusted posted selling price.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a sales volume for the item during a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatic adjustment of the posted selling price is performed when a certain sales volume is not achieved in a specified period of time.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatic adjustment of the posted selling price is performed when a certain sales volume is exceeded in a specified period of time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting further includes automatically adjusting depending upon an auction method being used to perform an electronic auction.

17. An electronic commerce system, including:

a commerce manager automatically to adjust a posted selling price of an unsold item based on a price adjustment parameter.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the posted selling price is a minimum bid price of the item in an electronic auction.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the commerce manager automatically adjusts the posted selling price by automatically reducing the posted selling price.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the price is automatically reduced by a set amount.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the price is automatically reduced by a set percentage.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the commerce manager automatically adjusts the posted selling price by automatically increasing the posted selling price.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set amount.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set percentage.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a bidding activity over time.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on an amount of bids received.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a number of items for which bids are received.

28. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a merchandise catalog page generator to update a merchandise catalog page to include the adjusted posted selling price.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a sales volume for the item during a predetermined period of time.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the commerce manager automatically adjusts the posted selling price when a certain sales volume is not achieved in a specified period of time.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the commerce manager automatically adjusts the posted selling price when a certain sales volume is exceeded in a specified period of time.

32. A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more machines to perform a method to facilitate electronic commerce, the method including:

automatically adjusting a posted selling price of an unsold item based on a price adjustment parameter.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the posted selling price is a minimum bid price of the item in an electronic auction.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein automatically adjusting the posted selling price includes automatically reducing the posted selling price.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the price is automatically reduced by a set amount.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the price is automatically reduced by a set percentage.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein automatically adjusting the posted selling price includes automatically increasing the posted selling price.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set amount.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set percentage.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a bidding activity over time.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on an amount of bids received.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a number of items for which bids are received.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising:

updating a merchandise catalog page to include the adjusted posted selling price.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a sales volume for the item during a predetermined period of time.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 44, wherein automatically adjusting the posted selling price is performed when a certain sales volume is not achieved in a specified period of time.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 44, wherein automatically adjusting the posted selling price is performed when a certain sales volume is exceeded in a specified period of time.

47. The machine-readable medium of claim 32, wherein automatically adjusting further includes automatically adjusting depending upon an auction method being used to perform an electronic auction.

48. An electronic commerce system, including:

a managing means for automatically adjusting a posted selling price of an unsold item based on a price adjustment parameter; and

a storage means for storing the adjusted posted selling price.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the posted selling price is a minimum bid price of the item in an electronic auction.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the managing means automatically adjusts the posted selling price by automatically reducing the posted selling price.

51. The system of claim 48, wherein the posted selling price is automatically reduced by a set amount.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the posted selling price is automatically reduced by a set percentage.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein the managing means automatically adjusts the posted selling price by automatically increasing the posted selling price.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set amount.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein the posted selling price is automatically increased by a set percentage.

56. The system of claim 48, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a bidding activity over time.

57. The system of claim 48, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on an amount of bids received.

58. The system of claim 48, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a number of items bid for.

59. The system of claim 48, further comprising:

a merchandise catalog page generating means for updating a merchandise catalog page to include the adjusted posted selling price.

60. The system of claim 48, wherein the price adjustment parameter is based on a sales volume for the item during a predetermined period of time.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the managing means automatically adjusts the posted selling price when a certain sales volume is not achieved in a specified period of time.

62. The system of claim 60, wherein the managing means automatically adjusts the posted selling price when a certain sales volume is exceeded in a specified period of time.