Method and system to adjust a seller fixed price offer

• US 20050015308A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Grove, Brian Alan, Grove, Steve, Edson, Zak James, Sandler, Andrew Leigh
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An auction method includes an auction price-setting process and a fixed price process for purchasing a seller'"'"'s offering to a buyer. The seller may adjust a seller fixed-price offer during the auction price-setting process.

Claims

1. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a fixed price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to adjust a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process.

2. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the fixed price offer includes lowering the fixed price offer below a reserve price.

3. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically designate a buyer, associated with a maximum bid for the listing, as a winner of the listing upon adjusting the fixed price offer, wherein the maximum bid is greater than the adjusted fixed price offer.

4. The network-based commerce system of claim 3, wherein the buyer is automatically designated as the winner if the buyer has opted into an automatic win arrangement.

5. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to receive a request to adjust the predefined fixed price offer from a buyer.

6. The network-based commerce system of claim 5, wherein the adjustment is based on the request.

7. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment includes raising the predefined fixed price offer.

8. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to notify a buyer of the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer.

9. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to present the adjusted fixed price offer to a buyer.

10. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically notify a relevant party when a proxy bid and the reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

11. The network-based commerce system of claim 10, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.

12. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a fixed price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to publish a buyer proposal price in connection with a listing for an item of a network based auction.

13. The network-based commerce system of claim 12, wherein the buyer proposal price is below a reserve price.

14. The network-based commerce system of claim 12, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to receive an indication from a seller of the item that the buyer proposed price is acceptable.

15. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to adjust a reserve price associated with a listing of an item during a network-based auction price-setting process.

16. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment of the reserve price includes lowering the reserve price.

17. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment of the reserve price includes removing the reserve price.

18. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment of the reserve price includes raising the reserve price.

19. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically notify a seller of the item when a high proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the adjusted reserve price.

20. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically notify a seller of the item when a high proxy bid is within a predetermined value range of the reserve price.

21. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to lower a proxy bid, of a buyer higher than the adjusted reserve price, to a predetermined amount below the adjusted reserve price.

22. The network-based commerce system of claim 15, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically notify one or more bidders of the adjustment of the reserve price.

23. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to facilitate a request for an adjustment of a reserve price associated with a listing for an item, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

24. The network-based commerce system of claim 23, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically transmit the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

25. The network-based commerce system of claim 23, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically transmit the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

26. The network-based commerce system of claim 23, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

27. A network-based commerce system includes:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an fixed price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to facilitate a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

28. The network-based commerce system of claim 27, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically transmit the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price.

29. The network-based commerce system of claim 27, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to automatically transmit the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price.

30. The network-based commerce system of claim 27, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

31. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to automatically designate a bidder to be a winner of a listing for an item upon adjusting a fixed price offer for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the bidder of the item.

32. The network-based commerce system of claim 31, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to receive an indication from the bidder of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

33. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to automatically designate a bidder to be a winner of a listing for an item upon adjusting a predefined reserve price for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the bidder for the item.

34. The network-based commerce system of claim 33, wherein the auction price-setting process further causes the processor to receive an indication from the bidder of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

35. A network-based commerce system including:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

an auction price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to notify automatically a relevant party when a proxy bid and a reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

36. The network-based commerce system of claim 35, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.

37. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to operate a network-based commerce system, the method including:

adjusting a predefined fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the adjusting the fixed price offer includes lowering the fixed price offer below a reserve price.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further including:

automatically designating a buyer, associated with a maximum bid for the listing, as a winner of the listing upon adjusting the fixed price offer, wherein the maximum bid is greater than the adjusted fixed price offer.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the buyer is automatically designated as the winner if the buyer has opted into an automatic win arrangement.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further including:

receiving a request to adjust the predefined fixed price offer from a buyer.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the adjustment is based on the request.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein adjusting includes raising the predefined fixed price offer.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further including:

notifying a buyer of the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further including:

presenting the adjusted fixed price offer to a buyer.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further including:

automatically notifying a relevant party when a proxy bid and the reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

47. The machine-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.

48. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to facilitate a network-based auction, the method including:

presenting a buyer proposal price in connection with a listing for an item of a network based auction.

49. The machine-readable medium of claim 48, where the buyer proposal price is below a reserve price.

50. The machine-readable medium of claim 48, further including:

receiving an indication from a seller of the item that the buyer proposed price is acceptable.

51. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

adjusting a predefined reserve price associated with a listing of an item during a network-based auction price-setting process.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, wherein adjusting the reserve price includes lowering the reserve price.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, wherein the adjusting the reserve price includes removing the reserve price.

54. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, wherein the adjusting the reserve price includes raising the reserve price.

55. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, including automatically notifying a seller of the item when a high proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the adjusted reserve price.

56. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, including automatically notifying a seller of the item when a high proxy bid is within a predetermined value range of the reserve price.

57. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, including lowering a proxy bid, of a buyer higher than the adjusted reserve price, to a predetermined amount below the adjusted reserve price.

58. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, further including:

notifying automatically one or more bidders of the adjustment of the reserve price.

59. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a reserve price associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

60. The machine-readable medium of claim 59, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

61. The machine-readable medium of claim 59, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

62. The machine-readable medium of claim 59, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

63. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

64. The machine-readable medium of claim 63, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price.

65. The machine-readable medium of claim 63, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price.

66. The machine-readable medium of claim 63, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

67. A machine-readable medium of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

automatically designating a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during the network-based auction price-setting process upon adjusting a predefined fixed price offer for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item.

68. The machine-readable medium of claim 67, further including:

receiving an indication from the buyer of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

69. A machine-readable medium of facilitating operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

automatically designating a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process upon adjusting a predefined reserve price for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item.

70. The machine-readable medium of claim 69, further including:

receiving an indication from the buyer of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

71. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method of facilitating operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

notifying automatically a relevant party when a proxy bid and a reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

72. The machine-readable medium of claim 71, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.

73. A method to operate a network-based commerce system, the method including:

adjusting a predefined fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the adjusting the fixed price offer includes lowering the fixed price offer below a reserve price.

75. The method of claim 73, further including:

automatically designating a buyer, associated with a maximum bid for the listing, as a winner of the listing upon adjusting the fixed price offer, wherein the maximum bid is greater than the adjusted fixed price offer.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the buyer is automatically designated as the winner if the buyer has opted into an automatic win arrangement.

77. The method of claim 73, further including:

receiving a request to adjust the predefined fixed price offer from a buyer.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the adjustment is based on the request.

79. The method of claim 73, wherein adjusting includes raising the predefined fixed price offer.

80. The method of claim 73, further including:

notifying a buyer of the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer.

81. The method of claim 73, further including:

presenting the adjusted fixed price offer to a buyer.

82. The method of claim 73, further including:

automatically notifying a relevant party when a proxy bid and the reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.

84. A method to facilitate a network-based auction, the method including:

presenting a buyer proposal price in connection with a listing for an item of a network based auction.

85. The method of claim 84, where the buyer proposal price is below a reserve price.

86. The method of claim 84, further including:

receiving an indication from a seller of the item that the buyer proposed price is acceptable.

87. A method to facilitate operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

adjusting a predefined reserve price associated with a listing of an item during a network-based auction price-setting process.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein adjusting the reserve price includes lowering the reserve price.

89. The method of claim 87, wherein the adjusting the reserve price includes removing the reserve price.

90. The method of claim 87, wherein the adjusting the reserve price includes raising the reserve price.

91. The method of claim 87, including automatically notifying a seller of the item when a high proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the adjusted reserve price.

92. The method of claim 87, including automatically notifying a seller of the item when a high proxy bid is within a predetermined value range of the reserve price.

93. The method of claim 87, including lowering a proxy bid, of a buyer higher than the adjusted reserve price, to a predetermined amount below the adjusted reserve price.

94. The method of claim 87, further including:

notifying automatically one or more bidders of the adjustment of the reserve price.

95. A method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a reserve price associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

96. The method of claim 95, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

97. The method of claim 95, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

98. The method of claim 95, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

99. A method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

100. The method of claim 99, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price.

101. The method of claim 99, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price.

102. The method of claim 99, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

103. A method of facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the method including:

automatically designating a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during the network-based auction price-setting process upon adjusting a predefined fixed price offer for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item.

104. The method of claim 103, further including:

receiving an indication from the buyer of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

105. A method of facilitating operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

automatically designating a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process upon adjusting a predefined reserve price for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item.

106. The method of claim 105, further including:

receiving an indication from the buyer of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

107. A method of facilitating operation of a network-based commerce system, the method including:

notifying automatically a relevant party when a proxy bid and a reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.

109. A network-based commerce system including:

a means for adjusting a predefined fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for adjusting, for storing the fixed price offer.

110. The network-based commerce system of claim 109, wherein the adjusting the fixed price offer includes lowering the fixed price offer below a reserve price.

111. The network-based commerce system of claim 109, further including:

a means for automatically designating a buyer, associated with a maximum bid for the listing, as a winner of the listing upon adjusting the fixed price offer, wherein the maximum bid is greater than the adjusted fixed price offer.

112. The network-based commerce system of claim 111, wherein the buyer is automatically designated as the winner if the buyer has opted into an automatic win arrangement.

113. A network-based commerce system to facilitate a network-based auction, the system including:

a means for presenting a buyer proposal price in connection with a listing for an item of a network based auction; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for presenting, for storing the buyer proposal price.

114. The network-based commerce system of claim 113, where the buyer proposal price is below a reserve price.

115. The network-based commerce system of claim 113, further including:

a means for receiving an indication from a seller of the item that the buyer proposed price is acceptable, the means for receiving coupled to the storage means.

116. A network-based commerce system including:

a means for adjusting a predefined reserve price associated with a listing of an item during a network-based auction price-setting process; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for adjusting, for storing the reserve price.

117. The network-based commerce system of claim 116, wherein adjusting the reserve price includes lowering the reserve price.

118. The network-based commerce system of claim 116, wherein the adjusting the reserve price includes removing the reserve price.

119. The network-based commerce system of claim 116, wherein the adjusting the reserve price includes raising the reserve price.

120. A network-based commerce system for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the system including:

a means for facilitating a request for an adjustment of a reserve price associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing, the means for facilitating coupled to the storage means.

121. The network-based commerce system of claim 120, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

122. The network-based commerce system of claim 120, including automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of the reserve price.

123. The network-based commerce system of claim 120, wherein the request includes information of a closing price of a similar listing.

124. A network-based commerce system for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the system including:

a means for facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction price-setting process, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for facilitating, for storing the fixed price offer.

125. The network-based commerce system of claim 124, including a means for automatically transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, the means for transmitting coupled to the storage means.

126. A network-based commerce system for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process, the system including:

a means for automatically designating a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during the network-based auction price-setting process upon adjusting a predefined fixed price offer for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for automatically designating, for storing the predefined fixed price offer.

127. The network-based commerce system of claim 126, further including:

a means for receiving an indication from the buyer of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer below the maximum bid, the means for receiving coupled to the storage means.

128. A network-based commerce system for facilitating operation of a network-based commerce system, the system including:

a means for automatically designating a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during a network-based auction price-setting process upon adjusting a predefined reserve price for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for designating, for storing the listing for an item.

129. The network-based commerce system of claim 128, further including:

a means for receiving an indication from the buyer of a willingness to accept being designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the predefined fixed price offer below the maximum bid.

130. A network-based commerce system for facilitating operation of a network-based commerce system, the system including:

a means for notifying automatically a relevant party when a proxy bid and a reserve price are within a predetermined proximity of each other; and

a storage means, coupled to the means for notifying, for storing the proxy bid and the reserve price.

131. The network-based commerce system of claim 130, wherein the relevant party includes at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a watcher.