Transaction management systems

• US 20040139032A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rowanx Limited
• Original Assignee: Guaranteed Markets Limited
• Inventors: Rowan, Wingham
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A transaction management system is described in which transactions between buyers and sellers are monitored to determine sellers qualifying for guaranteed or underwritten status. The sellers log details of their goods or services with the system which are then presented to buyers together with an indication of the seller'"'"'s underwritten status. A buyer purchasing from a guaranteed or underwritten seller using the system obtains some form of compensation in the event that the seller does not deliver as promised. In a preferred embodiment, the system selects an alternative service or good for delivery to the buyer by the agreed date using the database of sales data. The sellers are advantageously graded into bands using historical transaction-related data.

Claims

1. A transaction management system for managing the purchase of an item and/or service by a buyer from a seller, the system comprising;

a data store for storing seller data comprising, for each of a plurality of sellers, a seller identifier, seller offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale;

a program store storing processor implementable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the data store and to the program store for implementing the stored instructions;

wherein the stored instructions comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

implement a buyer interface to output seller offer data for a plurality of sellers, and to receive a purchase request from the buyer accepting a said offer, the purchase request comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by the buyer;

identify a seller offering the requested service or item;

implement a seller interface to output the request data to the identified seller for requesting purchase of the service or item;

ascertain compliance data for determining whether the identified seller is willing or able to comply with the buyer purchase request; and

output compensation data for compensating the buyer if said compliance data indicates that the identified seller is not willing or able to comply with the request.

2. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data store further stores compensation criteria data defining at least one compensation criterion;

wherein the seller data includes historical data comprising data relating to past sales and/or contactability of a seller; and

wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

implement the buyer interface to output an indication of which of the sellers and/or services or items offered for sale meet the compensation criterion;

determine whether the identified seller and/or requested service or item meets the compensation criterion; and

output the compensation data conditionally upon the identified seller meeting the criterion.

3. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data store further stores, for each of the sellers, seller contactability data indicating at least one date and/or time by when the seller should be contactable, wherein the purchase request includes a deadline indicating a date and/or time by when a response to the purchase request is required and wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a system confirmation deadline using the purchase request deadline;

identify a seller offering the requested service or item and contactable by the confirmation deadline;

monitor communication of the identified seller with the system to ascertain said compliance data;

determine whether the identified seller has accepted the requested purchase by the confirmation deadline using said compliance data; and

output compensation data for compensating the buyer if the identified seller has not accepted the requested purchase by the confirmation deadline.

4. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seller contactability data defines a plurality of contactability windows;

wherein the historical data comprises historical contactability data;

wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

monitor whether a seller is in contact with the system during a said window; and

update said historical contactability data in response to the result of said monitoring; and

wherein said at least one compensation criterion includes an historical contactability criterion.

5. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data store includes value data for a service or item of commerce, and wherein the compensation criteria data defines a compensation criterion dependent upon the value data of the service or item of commerce requested by the buyer.

6. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the historical data includes data relating to occasions when a seller has not accepted a requested purchase by the confirmation deadline;

and wherein the compensation criteria data includes data defining a maximum number or value of declined sales.

7. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

input and store in the data store complaint data for a seller; and

wherein the compensation criteria data includes data defining a maximum number or value of sale complaints.

8. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a purchase request date and/or time;

determine the confirmation deadline using the difference between the purchase date and/or time and the purchase request deadline.

9. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a revised confirmation deadline using the difference between the purchase request deadline and a date and/or time later than the confirmation deadline determined using the purchase request deadline; and

select one or more sellers of an alternative service or item to replace the service or item of commerce requested by the buyer, and contactable before the revised confirmation deadline.

10. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said compensation data comprises data indicating a compensating offer of an or the alternative service or item for the buyer, to replace or supplement the requested service or item;

and wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

implement the buyer interface to output said compensation data, and to input acceptance data; and

implement the seller interface to output request data for the alternative service or item to a seller of the alternative service or item if the acceptance data indicates acceptance of the compensating offer.

11. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seller data includes price data for the services and/or items of commerce for sale;

wherein the data store further comprises price adjustment data; and

wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

implement the buyer interface to output price information for services and/or items of commerce available from the sellers;

calculate adjusted price information for sellers meeting the compensation criterion, using the price data and price adjustment data.

12. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine said price adjustment data using said historical data.

13. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seller data includes seller grade data;

wherein said compensation criteria data includes data defining a threshold seller grade; and

wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

determine the seller grade for a seller using the historical data for the seller.

14. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compensation data comprises purchase data for requesting purchase of the or an alternative service or item of commerce from an alternative seller to the identified seller;

and wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

select one or more said alternative sellers of the or an alternative service or item of commerce; and

output the compensation data to a said alternative seller.

15. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to:

determine a revised confirmation deadline;

determine whether the alternative seller has accepted the requested purchase by the revised confirmation deadline; and

output data responsive to the determination of whether the alternative seller accepted before the revised confirmation deadline.

16. A transaction management system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said compensation data comprises purchase data for requesting purchase of an alternative service or item of commerce;

and

wherein the stored instructions further comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

implement the seller interface to output said compensation data to a said selected seller of the alternative service or item;

determine whether the said selected seller has accepted the requested purchase of the alternative service or item; and

determine a further revised confirmation deadline and select one or more sellers of a further alternative service or item if the said selected seller has not accepted the requested purchase of the alternative service or item by the revised confirmation deadline.

23. A method as claimed in claim 18, the method further comprising:

inputting and store in the data store complaint data for a seller; and

wherein the compensation criteria data includes data defining a maximum number or value of sale complaints.

43. Computer readable instructions comprising the processor implementable instructions of any one of claims 1 to 16, 33 to 37 and 39 to 41.

45. A carrier medium carrying the computer readable instructions of claim 43 or 44.

17. A method for managing the purchase of an item and/or service by a buyer from a seller, the method comprising:

storing in a data store seller data comprising, for each of a plurality of sellers, a seller identifier, seller offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale;

implementing a buyer interface to output seller offer data for a plurality of sellers, and to receive a purchase request from the buyer accepting a said offer, the purchase request comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by the buyer;

identifying a seller offering the requested service or item;

implementing a seller interface to output the request data to the identified seller for requesting purchase of the service or item;

ascertain compliance data for determining whether the identified seller is willing or able to comply with the buyer purchase request; and

outputting compensation data for compensating the buyer if said compliance data indicates that the identified seller is not willing or able to comply with the request.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the seller data includes historical data comprising data relating to past sales and/or contactability of a seller;

the method further comprising;

storing in the data store compensation criteria data defining at least one compensation criterion;

implementing the buyer interface to output an indication of which of the sellers and/or services or items offered for sale meet the compensation criterion;

determining whether the identified seller and/or requested service or item meets the compensation criterion; and

outputting the compensation data conditionally upon the identified seller meeting the criterion.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the purchase request includes a deadline indicating a date and/or time by when a response to the purchase request is required;

the method further comprising;

storing in the data store, for each of the sellers, seller contactability data indicating at least one date and/or time by when the seller should be contactable;

determining a system confirmation deadline using the purchase request deadline;

identifying a seller offering the requested service or item and contactable by the confirmation deadline;

monitoring communication of the identified seller with the system to ascertain said compliance data;

determining whether the identified seller has accepted the requested purchase by the confirmation deadline using said compliance data; and

outputting compensation data for compensating the buyer if the identified seller has not accepted the requested purchase by the confirmation deadline.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the seller contactability data defines a plurality of contactability windows;

wherein the historical data comprises historical contactability data, the method further comprising;

monitoring whether a seller is in contact with the system during a said window; and

updating said historical contactability data in response to the result of said monitoring; and

wherein said at least one compensation criterion includes an historical contactability criterion.

21. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the data store includes value data for a service or item of commerce, and wherein the compensation criteria data defines a compensation criterion dependent upon the value data of the service or item of commerce requested by the buyer.

22. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the historical data includes data relating to occasions when a seller has not accepted a requested purchase by the confirmation deadline;

and wherein the compensation criteria data includes data defining a maximum number or value of declined sales.

24. A method as claimed in claim 17, the method further comprising:

determining a purchase request date and/or time; and

determining the confirmation deadline using the difference between the purchase date and/or time and the purchase request deadline.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, the method further comprising:

determining a revised confirmation deadline using the difference between the purchase request deadline and a date and/or time later than the confirmation deadline determined using the purchase request deadline; and

selecting one or more sellers of an alternative service or item to replace the service or item of commerce requested by the buyer, and contactable before the revised confirmation deadline.

26. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said compensation data comprises data indicating a compensating offer of an or the alternative service or item for the buyer, to replace or supplement the requested service or item, the method further comprising:

implementing the buyer interface to output said compensation data, and to input acceptance data; and

implementing the seller interface to output request data for the alternative service or item to a seller of the alternative service or item if the acceptance data indicates acceptance of the compensating offer.

27. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the seller data includes price data for the services and/or items of commerce for sale;

wherein the data store further comprises price adjustment data, the method further comprising;

implementing the buyer interface to output price information for services and/or items of commerce available from the sellers; and

calculating adjusted price information for sellers meeting the compensation criterion, using the price data and price adjustment data.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27, the method further comprising:

determining said price adjustment data using said historical data.

29. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the seller data includes seller grade data;

wherein said compensation criteria data includes data defining a threshold seller grade the method further comprising;

determining the seller grade for a seller using the historical data for the seller.

30. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the compensation data comprises purchase data for requesting purchase of the or an alternative service or item of commerce from an alternative seller to the identified seller, the method further comprising:

selecting one or more said alternative sellers of the or an alternative service or item of commerce; and

outputting the compensation data to a said alternative seller.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, the method further comprising:

determining a revised confirmation deadline;

determining whether the alternative seller has accepted the requested purchase by the revised confirmation deadline; and

outputting data responsive to the determination of whether the alternative seller accepted before the revised confirmation deadline.

32. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said compensation data comprises purchase data for requesting purchase of an alternative service or item of commerce, the method further comprising:

implementing the seller interface to output said compensation data to a said selected seller of the alternative service or item;

determining whether the said selected seller has accepted the requested purchase of the alternative service or item; and

determining a further revised confirmation deadline and selecting one or more sellers of a further alternative service or item if the said selected seller has not accepted the requested purchase of the alternative service or item by the revised confirmation deadline.

44. Computer readable instructions for controlling a computer system or terminal to carry out the process of any one of claims 17 to 32, 38 and 42.

33. A buyer terminal for a buyer to remotely purchase a service or item from a seller via an intermediary system, the terminal comprising:

a data memory operable to store data to be processed;

a program store for storing processor implementable instructions;

a communications interface for receiving data from and transmitting data to the intermediary system; and

a processor, coupled to the data memory, to the program store for implementing the stored instructions, and to the communications interface for receiving and storing instructions for the processor in the program store; and

wherein, in use, the program store stores instructions for controlling the processor to;

receive seller data comprising, for each of a plurality of sellers, seller offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale;

generate a user interface to output said seller offer data and to receive a purchase request from the buyer accepting a said offer, the purchase request comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by the buyer;

transmit the purchase request to the intermediary system;

receive buyer notification data from the intermediary system, the buyer notification data including compensation data for making a compensating offer to the buyer; and

output a said compensating offer to the buyer.

34. A buyer terminal as claimed in claim 33, wherein, in use, the program store further stores instructions for further controlling the processor to:

input acceptance data from the buyer for accepting or rejecting the compensating offer; and

transmit said acceptance data to the intermediary system.

35. A buyer terminal as claimed in claim 33, wherein, in use, the program store further stores instructions for further controlling the processor to:

receive compensation indication data indicating whether a seller or a service or item offered by the seller meets one or more compensation criteria;

output said seller offer data and said compensation indication data for a plurality of sellers;

input selection data for selection a seller and/or service or item; and

transmit said selection data to the intermediary system.

36. A buyer terminal as claimed in claim 35, wherein said seller offer data includes price data for a service or item offered by a seller:

wherein said price data is dependent upon whether the seller, service or item meets the one or more compensation criteria.

37. A buyer terminal as claimed in claim 33, wherein, in use, the program store further stores instructions for further controlling the processor to:

generate a user interface to receive a deadline indicating a date and/or time by when a response to the purchase request is required; and

wherein said compensation data is received if availability of the requested service or item is not confirmed by the deadline.

38. A method for using a buyer terminal to remotely purchase a service or item from a seller via an intermediary system, the method comprising:

receiving seller data comprising, for each of a plurality of sellers, seller offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale;

generating a user interface to output said seller offer data and receive a purchase request from the buyer accepting a said offer, the purchase request comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by the buyer;

transmitting the purchase request to the intermediary system;

receiving buyer notification data from the intermediary system, the buyer notification data including compensation data for making a compensating offer to the buyer; and

outputting a said compensating offer to the buyer.

39. A seller terminal for a seller to remotely sell a service or item of commerce to a buyer via an intermediary system, the terminal comprising:

a data memory operable to store data to be processed;

a program store for storing processor implementable instructions;

a communications interface for receiving data from a transmitting data to the intermediary system; and

a processor, coupled to the data memory, to the program store for implementing the stored instructions, and to the communications interface for receiving and storing instructions for the processor in the program store; and

wherein, in use, the program store stores instructions for controlling the processor to;

generate a sale offer user interface to input sale offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale by the seller and a corresponding price;

transmit the sale offer data to the intermediary system;

receive purchase request data from the intermediary system, the purchase request data comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by a buyer; and

generate a purchase request user interface to output the purchase request data to the seller and to input seller acceptance data indicating whether the seller accepts the purchase request;

transmit the seller acceptance data to the intermediary system.

40. A seller terminal as claimed in claim 39, wherein the purchase request data further comprises confirmation deadline data indicating a data and/or time by when acceptance of the buyer'"'"'s purchase must be confirmed to the intermediary system;

and

wherein the purchase request user interface further outputs the confirmation deadline data.

41. A seller terminal as claimed in claim 40, wherein, in use, the program store further stores instructions for further controlling the processor to:

generate a user interface to input a seller confirmation code; and

transmit the seller confirmation code to the intermediary system.

42. A method of using a seller terminal to remotely purchase a service or item of commerce from a buyer via an intermediary system, the method comprising:

generating a sale offer user interface to input sale offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale by the seller and a corresponding price;

transmitting the sale offer data to the intermediary system;

receiving purchase request data from the intermediary system, the purchase request data comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by a buyer; and

generating a purchase request user interface to output the purchase request data to the seller and to input seller acceptance data indicating whether the seller accepts the purchase request;

transmitting the seller acceptance data to the intermediary system.

46. A method of supplying goods and/or services from a buyer to a seller via an intermediary, the method comprising:

logging details of goods/services on offer from a plurality of sellers;

determining sellers and/or goods/services qualifying for underwritten status;

outputting offers of underwritten sellers and/or goods/services to a buyer;

accepting a purchase request from a buyer for underwritten goods/services;

forwarding the purchase request to a seller; and

compensating the buyer of the underwritten goods/services if the goods/services are not provided in accordance with one or more criteria underwritten by the intermediary.

47. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the logged details include prices of the goods/services offered by the sellers and wherein the offers of underwritten sellers and/or goods/services from the intermediary to the buyer include increased prices, the price increases being calculated to offset to the cost of said compensating.

48. A method as claimed in claim 47, wherein said compensating is in response to the buyer informing the intermediary that goods/services have not been provided in accordance with the one or more underwritten criteria.

49. A method as claimed in claim 48, wherein said underwriting status determination is dependent upon a recorded number of instances of the buyer informing the intermediary that goods/services have not been provided in accordance with the one or more underwritten criteria.

50. A method as claimed in claim 47, wherein said compensating is in response to the seller informing the intermediary that goods/services have not been provided in accordance with the one or more underwritten criteria.

51. A method as claimed in claim 50, wherein said underwriting status determination is dependent upon a recorded number of instances of the seller informing the intermediary that goods/services have not been provided in accordance with the one or more underwritten criteria.

52. A method as claimed in claim 51, wherein said underwriting status determination is further dependent upon the length of notice given to the intermediary in instances of the seller informing the intermediary that goods/services have not been provided in accordance with the one or more underwritten criteria.

53. A method as claimed in claim 51, wherein the underwritten criteria include a maximum permitted number of complaints about a seller initiated by a buyer, said underwriting status determination being dependent on the number of such complaints currently unresolved, or the number of such complaints in which the seller is deemed to be at fault.

54. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the purchase request includes a confirmation or delivery deadline for confirmation or delivery of the order, the method further comprising:

setting a seller confirmation deadline;

forwarding the seller confirmation deadline to a seller with the purchase request; and

selecting an alternative seller if the seller does not confirm acceptance of the purchase request by that seller confirmation deadline.

55. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the method further comprises:

recording purchase request and sales-related data; and

wherein a sellers underwritten status is determined using one or more of;

a recorded total number of sales, a recorded number of different buyers, a recorded total value of sales, an average value of sales, a number of complaints, a recorded number of declined purchase requests, and a recorded number of instances the seller not being contactable within a predetermined contactability window.

56. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein said determining of underwritten status is performed at intervals, the method further comprising:

storing the underwritten status of a seller in a data store.

57. A method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising:

logging sales data relating to sales made by sellers;

grading the sellers by applying grade criteria to the sales data;

determining a sellers underwritten status using a result of said grading.

58. A method as claimed in claim 57, further comprising:

regrading sellers automatically in response to changes in the logged sales data.

59. A transaction management system for managing the purchase of an item and/or service by a buyer from a seller, the system comprising;

a data store for storing seller data comprising, for each of a plurality of sellers, a seller identifier, seller offer data indicating at least one service or item of commerce offered for sale;

a program store storing processor implementable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the data store and to the program store for implementing the stored instructions;

wherein the stored instructions comprise instructions for controlling the processor to;

implement a buyer interface to output seller offer data for a plurality of sellers, and to receive a purchase request from the buyer accepting a said offer, the purchase request comprising request data indicating a service or item of commerce requested by the buyer;

identify a seller offering the requested service or item;

implement a seller interface to output the request data to the identified seller for requesting purchase of the service or item;

the instructions further comprising instructions to;

input and store complaint data relating to a seller;

grade said sellers in at least partial dependence upon said complaint data; and

implement said buyer interface to output an indication of a seller grade in association with said seller offer data.

60. A system as claimed in claim 59, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

select sellers for underwritten or guaranteed status using said complaint data.

61. A system as claimed in claim 59, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

determine a price for an item of commerce or service responsive to said complaint data.

62. A system as claimed in claim 59, wherein said complaint data includes sales or elapsed time threshold data for a complaint and wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

amend said complaint data such that a complaint is not used for grading a seller once said sales or elapsed time threshold has been reached.

63. A method for operating a market in which a plurality of sellers offer goods and/or services to buyers, the method comprising:

monitoring transactions between the buyers and sellers;

receiving a complaint made by a buyer about a seller;

adjudicating the complaint to determine whether or not the complaint was justified;

determining a measure of justified complaints against a seller; and

using the measure of justified complaints for the benefit of the buyers.

64. A method as claimed in claim 63, wherein a subset of said sellers are guaranteed or underwritten and wherein the measure of justified complaints is used to select a said seller for guaranteed or underwritten status.

65. A method as claimed in claim 63, wherein the sellers sell to the buyers through an intermediary and wherein the measure of complaints against a seller is used in determining a price for goods and/or services from the seller offered to one or more buyers.

66. A method according to claim 63, wherein associated with a justified complaint is a complaint lifetime and wherein complaints older than their lifetime are excluded from said measure of complaints.

67. A method according to claim 63, wherein said adjudicating determines an outcome selected from seller guilty, buyer guilty and third party guilty and/or no guilty party identifiable.